In the week's leading up to the start of training camps across the league, ESPN has been putting its pollsters to good use.
The sports site reached out to NFL executive, coaches and scouts to determine the top 10 players at each position, and more than 70 individuals submitted a ballot. It was recently revealed that Bijan Robinson landed fourth on the voters’ consensus ballot, and he'll have some company at that spot.
Jeremy Fowler published ESPN's ranking of the top safeties in the league ahead of the 2025 season on Thursday, and Jessie Bates III appeared at No. 4. It's a small step down for Bates, who was ranked third on the same list last year, despite being the only NFL defender to have four interceptions and four forced fumbles in 2024. The highest ranking Bates received among the voters as No. 2, but he was also left off of at least one voter's ballot, altogether.
"I think he's come into his own as a leader there, which has helped his confidence as a player," one NFC scout told Fowler for the piece. "There's a symbiotic connection there between him and the coaching staff and he's been able to be more of a dual-phase playmaker more consistently."
Bates has been a team captain for Atlanta since arriving in 2023, and his presence will continue to be instrumental for a defense that is both in transition and looking to ascend. Who he will be playing alongside this fall has yet to be determined after the Falcons signed veteran Jordan Fuller in free agency and drafted Xavier Watts. Third-year pro DeMarcco Hellams should also be a factor as he returns after missing all of last season.
Whoever the Falcons settle on for their second safety position, that player will be working alongside a versatile playmaker who should help make life a little easier.
Only four players have more interceptions than Bates' 24 since he entered the league in 2018, and 10 of those picks have happened in Atlanta. Putting Bates in position for more game-changing moments is likely to be a priority for Raheem Morris and new defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich this year. A quote from Morris' first press conference as the Falcons' interim head coach in 2020, when he last worked with Ulbrich in this capacity, helps drive the notion home.
"If you're on offense, your job is to score," Morris said in Week 6 of the 2020 season. "If you're on defense, it's to get the ball back. If you're on the return unit, it's to score. If you're on the coverage unit, it's to get the ball back."
Few in the league have proven more adept at taking the ball away, even from the NFL's top quarterbacks, than Bates. He has quickly climbed up the list of all-time Atlanta free agent signings, and there is plenty of runway left ahead of him. With another strong season, Bates will continue to move up those rankings, and perhaps a few more.
