Atlanta vs. New England: Comparing the top football talent
With the New England Patriots and Atlanta Falcons set to square off in Super Bowl LI on Sunday, there will be plenty of roster breakdowns and other meaningful analysis. This is not that. Instead, Rivals.com took a look at the Atlanta metro area and compared it to New England when it comes to the top talent produced in each respective region.
For the purposes of this comparison, the top five prospects from each area (according to the Rivals.com rankings) we selected and had their post-high school careers compared. Also, each region’s top active players were also pitted against one another.
Note: Players must have played at least one full season of college football to be eligible for the comparison.
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MATCHUP NO. 1: CHRISTIAN WILKINS VS. ROBERT NKEMDICHE
A current member of the Clemson football team, Wilkins is a national champion. He was named a Freshman All-American by a handful of publications in 2015. The Associated Press named him a third-team All-American less than two months ago. He is currently preparing for his junior campaign as a Tiger.
A first-round pick in the 2016 NFL Draft, Nkemdiche is a former first-team All-SEC selection. He played in just five games as a rookie for the Arizona Cardinals this season, recording just one tackle. He battled injury this season but also failed to adjust to the team’s defense and had an underwhelming first year in the league.
Advantage: Atlanta
MATCHUP NO. 2: SILAS REDD VS. ERIC BERRY
Redd began his career at Penn State and found success there, eclipsing the 1,000-yard mark as a sophomore in 2011. He transferred to USC in the wake of the sexual assault scandal that shook the program. In two years as a Trojan, Redd regressed as a rusher and amassed just 376 yards as a senior. Redd signed with the Washington Redskins as an undrafted free agent and was waived by the team in late 2016.
A current member of the Kansas City chiefs and a five-time Pro Bowl selection, Berry was twice a unanimous All-American during his time at Tennessee. He was the SEC Defensive Player of the Year in 2008. Berry has played in 86 NFL games and recorded more than 400 tackles.
Advantage: Atlanta
MATCHUP NO. 3: JOHN MONTELUS VS. CARL LAWSON
Montelus has struggled to live up to his Rivals100 billing as a player at Notre Dame. He’s seen extremely limited action in his college career thus far. He’ll look to breakout as a senior in the season ahead.
After seeing his early college career hampered by injury, . He was a first-team All-American and a first-team All-SEC selection last season. Lawson recently announced his intentions to forgo his senior season in favor of entering this year’s NFL Draft. He is projected as a mid-to-late first round pick.
Advantage: Atlanta
MATCHUP NO. 4: AARON HERNANDEZ VS. PAUL OLIVER
Most famous for being convicted of murder, Hernandez had an impressive career before seeing it end in a courtroom. The 2009 John Mackey Award winner, Hernandez was an All-American and a national champion at Florida. He was drafted by the New England Patriots in the first round of the 2010 NFL Draft. Hernandez caught 175 passes, including 18 touchdowns, in his three NFL seasons. He was sentenced to life in prison in 2015.
After a quiet first two years at Georgia, Oliver broke out as a redshirt sophomore. He saw significant playing time but still never lived up to his lofty billing. He was ruled academically ineligible in 2007 and elected to enter the NFL Supplemental Draft, where he was selected in the fourth round. Oliver recorded 144 tackles and four interceptions in five NFL seasons. He committed suicide in September of 2013.
Advantage: New England
MATCHUP NO. 5: KHAIRI FORTT VS. RESHAD JONES
Like Redd, Fortt started his career at Penn State before transferring in the wake of scandal. He landed at Cal, where he played out his college career. Fortt was selected in the fourth round of the 2014 NFL Draft and has been a journeyman of since. He is currently a member of the Washington Redskins in a reserve role.
After an a Georgia career that featured a pair of second-team All-SEC nods, Jones was selected in the fifth round of the 2010 NFL Draft. He was selected to the 2015 Pro Bowl and remains in the NFL today as a member of the Miami Dolphins. He has recorded 555 tackles as a pro.
Advantage: Atlanta
MOST NOTABLE ACTIVE PLAYER FROM NEW ENGLAND: DWIGHT FREENEY
In a twist, Freeny, a Connecticut native, will play for the Falcons in the Super Bowl. He is a seven-time Pro Bowler and a former college All-American. A Syracuse product, Freeny led the NFL in sacks in 2004.
MOST NOTABLE ACTIVE PLAYER FROM ATLANTA: CAM NEWTON
Newton is the rare player that has won both a Heisman Trophy and an NFL MVP Award. He’s a three-time Pro Bowler and was the catalyst to Auburn’s 2010 national title team. Newton was the first overall selection in the 2011 NFL Draft.
Advantage: Atlanta
FINAL SCORE: 5-1 ATLANTA
Football is more popular in the south than it is in the north, so this result shouldn't shock anyone. Atlanta is a hotbed city for high school football talent, leaving New England with little chance in this sort of comparison. But, hey, Boston will always have lobster rolls and clam chowder. Atlanta has what? Grits?