The Falcons only had one player make the Pro Bowl last year as Chris Lindstrom earned the honor for the first time in his entire career.
You could make the case that Grady Jarrett was deserving, but I digress.
This season, Atlanta has a few candidates that could punch their ticket to the Pro Bowl. Four players are inside the top 10 of fan voting — Keith Smith, Jessie Bates III, Younghoe Koo, and Bijan Robinson.
Falcons in the Top 10 of Pro Bowl fan voting at the moment:
Keith Smith, fullback, 4th
Jessie Bates III, free safety, 2nd
Younghoe Koo, kicker, 5th
Bijan Robinson, running back, 6th— Michael Rothstein (@mikerothstein) December 6, 2023
Keith Smith is one of the last traditional fullbacks left in the NFL, so it’s no surprise that he’s in the top 10 of fan voting.
Younghoe Koo just overtook Justin Tucker for the best field goal percentage in league history two weeks ago as he connected on a field goal that put the Falcons up two scores over the Saints and the latter missed a field goal late in a Monday Night Football contest against the Chargers. Koo has been one of the most consistent legs since arriving in Atlanta and is deserving of Pro Bowl honors.
Bijan Robinson is likely to finish in the top three of the Offensive Rookie of the Year award voting but is 8th in yards from scrimmage among running backs, so he might be voted into the Pro Bowl, but it will be on his popularity at this point.
However, that’s not to say Robinson can’t get there. He’s less than 100 yards behind Travis Etienne, who ranks second behind Christian McCaffrey in total yards from scrimmage at the position.
Jessie Bates, on the other hand, is deserving of a Pro Bowl appearance and should be elected to his second All-Pro team, which I’ve spoken about ad nauseam.
Jessie Bates ranks third among defensive backs in tackles and third in interceptions while also being one of two players to force at least three interceptions and three fumbles. It’s also not an exaggeration to say he’s single-handedly responsible for several Falcons victories.
Against the Panthers, Bates was responsible for three turnovers that put Atlanta’s offense in plus territory, leading to 17 points. Then two weeks ago against the Saints, Bates was directly responsible for a 14-point swing and I could argue it was a 28-point swing.
Falcons Fans can vote through Dec. 25 to get their favorite players in:
NFL’s website: https://www.nfl.com/pro-bowl-games/vote/
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Photographer: Bob Kupbens/Icon Sportswire
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