Falcons linebacker Duke Riley had big shoes to fill coming out of LSU. Just one year removed from the role of college backup, Riley was frequently (and perhaps unfairly) compared to fellow LSU alum Deion Jones. Because of Jones’ success as a rookie in Dan Quinn’s defense, we assumed Riley could make a similarly successful transition to the NFL. We were wrong.
Riley’s rookie campaign was ... lackluster. We’ve talked about this ad nauseum, and you’re likely familiar with the narrative: if Riley didn’t improve dramatically in 2018, he’d find himself on the bench. He didn’t. And he did.