All you'll hear about the Atlanta Falcons from the national media is how awful their quarterback situation is and how they can't possibly achieve anything until they find a solution at that position.
While it's not a great QB room, too much of the conversation is centered around Tua Tagovailoa and Michael Penix at the expense of other young, gifted players - of which there are many on this roster.
One of them earned a tip of the cap from Kevin Patra at NFL.com, who named second-year safety Xavier Watts as the team's potential first-time Pro Bowler.
"Xavier Watts was all over the field during his rookie season, showing extended range on the back end of the Falcons' defense. The safety recorded five interceptions, 11 passes defended and 96 tackles
in the ATL secondary. Watts' ability to blanket every level of the field allows him to make plays. Entering his second season under DC Jeff Ulbrich, he’s just beginning to rise."
Watts is an excellent choice, and if he can boost his performance to an even higher level after a very impressive rookie season then making the Pro Bowl is just the beginning of what he can accomplish.
There is definitely room for improvement, though. As a rookie Watts allowed over 500 receiving yards, six touchdowns and a 98.7 passer rating in coverage, and he also missed nine tackle attempts. If he can drop those coverage numbers and clean up his tackle percentage there's no reason he can't be in the All-Pro conversation some day.
Other Falcons who might be first-time Pro Bowlers include wide receiver Drake London, left guard Matthew Bergeron, defensive tackle Brandon Dorlus, cornerback A.J. Terrell and linebacker Divine Deablo.
This article originally appeared on Falcons Wire: NFL.com names Falcons' potential first-time Pro Bowler
