When Dan Quinn was installed as the newest head coach of the Atlanta Falcons, he was taking over an offense loaded with skilled players, including (as it turned out) a young running back on the cusp of stardom. What he didn’t inherit was a great defense, and what’s striking looking back at the roster before that 2015 NFL Draft is just how different the defense looked. It’s worth exploring.
So here’s a look at how different the team looks in the year 2018 than 2015, with the caveat that some of these starters are guesstimated because the team made moves in the draft or later in the offseason that quickly made them backups.