Atlanta Falcons: Deion Jones
Jones was lost to injury in Week 1 last season and Atlanta’s defense wasn’t the same without him. By the time he returned in mid-November, it was too late to make much of a difference. In his absence, it was the defense that held the Falcons back last season, and as the middle linebacker, he’s arguably the most impactful and most important player on Atlanta’s defense.
The Falcons don’t need to worry too much about Matt Ryan and the offense, but they need the defense to do their part. When Jones had a breakout season in 2017, the Falcons had a top-10 caliber defense. If Jones can stay healthy and return to that level of play in 2019, the Atlanta defense should be good enough to put the Falcons in a position to reach the playoffs. But the team can’t afford to see their defense repeat last year’s performance.