One of the best players in the league that you might no be aware of Cincinnati Bengals Defensive tackle Geno Atkins. Atkins was a fourth round pick out of Georgia for the Bengals in the 2010 N.F.L. draft. In his first season, Atkins played in every game, but wasn’t much of a factor. Atkins entered the league as a guy with a reputation for some motor issues as well as a guy who might not have enough size to be a major factor in the N.F.L. Atkins is 6’1 barely 300 pounds, but he has proven to be a fearless pass rusher. Atkins registered 7.5 sacks in the 2011 NFL Season and ended up in the Pro-Bowl as an alternative.
What’s even more impressive is how Atkins came up with those sacks, in a recent article by Pat Kiriwan of CBSsports, it states that Atkins had 7 of his 7.5 sacks on third down “the money down”. That means that not only Atkins getting sacks at a higher rate than practically every other defensive tackle in the league, but that is sacks are also coming in very important situation. His 7 third down sacks were nearly half (18) of the Bengals total third down sacks. That kind of pressure from the interior of the defensive line is absolutely terrifying for opposing quarerbacks. Atkins is terrific at penetrating gaps and harassing the passer. Atkins though will have to show consistency. Can he be perennially dominant interior force. In 2011 he was arguably one of the five best defensive tackles in all of professional football.
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