Should the Carolina Panthers worry about the Falcons?
Which Falcons player do you see having the biggest impact against the Panthers on offense and defense? - @TLSPanthersV2
Don't let your bias fool you, the Atlanta Falcons have a talented team on both sides of the football - albeit with some areas of concern. In some ways, I feel like this is a loaded question because there are multiple players that could have a big impact against the Carolina Panthers.
Offensively, the biggest impact player has to be tight end Kyle Pitts, a unicorn at the position.
Pitts was a top-five selection in the 2021 NFL Draft and rightfully so. He moves as well as any wide receiver in the league and has shown progression as an in-line blocker at the line of scrimmage.
The former Florida Gator will be difficult to defend on Sunday. This is why I am hoping to see some of Jaycee Horn shadowing Pitts like he did at South Carolina.
Defensively, while I would like to say Grady Jarrett or Calais Campbell along the defensive front, star cornerback A.J. Terrell could give the Panthers wideouts some problems.
The former Clemson Tiger and first-round selection has great man coverage skills that allow him to shut down an entire portion of the field. Especially in zone drops when the Falcons go into Cover 3 or Cover 4.
Another name I would also mention is Jessie Bates III, one of the better free-range safeties in the game. He could keep rookie quarterback Bryce Young from taking more downfield attempts than you would hope.