The Atlanta Falcons may not have made the playoffs since 2017, but they’ve assembled an impressive amount of talent over the last few years, particularly on offense. Players like Drake London and Bijan Robinson have replaced Julio Jones and Matt Ryan as the faces of the franchise.
While Atlanta’s future looks bright, it never hurts to pay respect to the players of the past. Jones, a seven-time Pro Bowler, has never truly received his flowers for being one of the greatest wide receivers in NFL history.
Pro Football Focus gave the Falcons legend some major props, listing him as a starting receiver on the All-PFF Team of the last 20 years. PFF’s starting offense listed Jones as WR1, Antonio Brown as WR2, and DeAndre Hopkins as the starting slot receiver.
“Julio Jones stands out from the group, as his 2.53 yards per route run were the most by the 57 receivers with at least 4,000 routes, and he accomplished this while tallying the second-most receiving yards,” wrote PFF’s Nathan Jahnke. “Antonio Brown maintained the highest target rate of those 57 receivers and posted the second-highest rate of receiving a +1.0 grade or better.”
The former Falcons wide receiver beat out Pro Football Hall of Famer Calvin Johnson for a starting spot. According to PFF, Jones and Antonio Brown’s entire bodies of work were slightly better than the man once known as “Megatron” around the league.
“Some will be surprised that Hall of Fame wide receiver Calvin Johnson only made the second team,” added Jahnke. “But when comparing Johnson’s third-best season to Jones’s and Brown’s third- or fourth-best, Johnson begins to fall behind.”
One current Falcons player also made the cut for the All-PFF Team. Offensive lineman Chris Lindstrom was selected as PFF’s starting right guard. That’s an impressive feat for the 29-year-old Lindstrom.
“Lindstrom takes the top spot for securing the best peak of any right guard,” wrote Jahnke. “There have been four seasons where a guard posted at least a 94.0 overall grade, and Lindstrom is responsible for two. Similar to centers, guard grades have trended down over time, making Lindstrom’s two seasons even more impressive.”
The Falcons will be counting on Lindstrom more than ever in 2026. Right tackle Kaleb McGary retired after missing all of the 2025 NFL season. Atlanta signed veteran Jawaan Taylor to play next to Lindstrom this season, but there could be an adjustment period.
The team will return for training camp on July 24 (rookies) and July 28 (veterans), with their first practice coming on July 29.
This article originally appeared on Falcons Wire: Julio Jones edges Calvin Johnson for starting spot on All-PFF Team
