Taylor Lewan was the third Offensive Linemen taken in the 2014 Draft (11^th Overall), and he arguably has been more successful than the two (Greg Robinson and Jake Matthews) selected ahead of him.

Lewan would win the starting job at Left Tackle during his debut season, finishing as an All-Rookie, and he progressively got better, rattling off three consecutive Pro Bowls from 2016 to 2018.  Lewan holds a spot as one of the better Offensive Lineman in franchise history, even if his overall profile is not highly regarded out of Tennessee.

Robbie Gould is one of the most consistent kickers in NFL history. Although he was only a Pro Bowl and All-Pro player once, that doesn’t detract from his impressive career.

Gould was undrafted in 2005 from Penn State, but he signed with the Chicago Bears during the NFL season and won the starting job. He kept this position until he signed with the New York Giants 10 years later. During his time with the Bears, Gould had his Pro Bowl year in 2006, led the NFL in field goals, and was later named one of the 100 Greatest Chicago Bears.

After leaving the Giants, Gould joined San Francisco, where he continued his success as a top kicker. He was first in field goals in 2017 with 39, and in field goal percentage in 2018.

At the time of his retirement, he was eighth all-time in field goals with 447, and tenth in points with 1,961.

Ok.

This should be one of the more interesting debates, though we think it won’t be discussed as much as it should be.

Why would this be? As good as he was, Matt Ryan rarely was in the public eye and never went mainstream like other great Quarterbacks. He quietly went about his business, was drama-free, and did his job well. Ryan is the greatest quarterback in Falcons history but is not even the most beloved or known today.

Statistically, Ryan has all the goods.  At the time of his retirement, he was in the top ten in Passing Yards (62,792), Completions (5,551) and Touchdown Passes (381) and was 14^th all-time in Approximate Value.  Even in this era of inflated pivot stats, these numbers are remarkable! 

Ryan also had the individual accolades.  Taken with the Third Overall Pick in 2008 from Boston College, Ryan won the AP Rookie of the Year Award, was a three-time Pro Bowler and was consistently in the top ten annually in significant passing statistics.  In 2016, Ryan was the consensus MVP, leading the NFL in the major passing categories and was the best Quarterback in the National Football League.  He took the Falcons to Atlanta to the Super Bowl, and they had a chance to beat Tom Brady and the New England Patriots.  At halftime, they were up 28-3, and the legacy of Ryan looked complete, but the Pats overcame that deficit, and Atlanta was denied. 

Had Ryan won the Super Bowl with the Falcons, would we have a debate?  Quarterbacks are judged on how many rings they have, and Ryan has none.  If he falls short, that will be why.

At the University of Alabama, Mark Ingram was a superstar.  The Crimson Tide Running Back captured the coveted Heisman Trophy in 2009, and his school won the National Championship.  He did this as a sophomore, and while he regressed due to knee issues as a Junior, Ingram was still expected to be a high pick, which he was, when the Saints took him 28^th Overall in 2011.

While it could be argued that Mark Ingram was a disappointment on the NFL level, it is because he came in with the Heisman pedigree, and a look at his actual production shows a very good NFL Running Back.  Ingram did not see a lot of touches in his first three seasons, and his peak in that period was 631 Yards from Scrimmage in the 2012 campaign.  This wasn’t bad, but he had a lot more to offer.

In 2014, Ingram rushed for 964 Yards, and he was used more as a receiving option, which allowed him to have 1,109 Yards from Scrimmage. Ingram was named to the Pro Bowl, and over the next three seasons, he exceeded 1,100 YFS, with the latter two seasons (2016 & 2017) seeing the Running Back go over 1,000 Rushing Yards. Ingram again went to the Pro Bowl in 2017.

With the arrival of Alvin Kamara, Ingram saw fewer touches in 2018, and he left the team as a Free Agent in 2019 to sign with the Baltimore Ravens, though he returned in 2021.  After another season, Ingram retired, and although there have been higher-profile Running Backs in New Orleans history, Ingram once held the Saints franchise lead in Rushing Yards with 6,500.  Coincidentally, it was Kamara who would take it from him.

Overall, Ingram compiled an impressive 10,236 Yards From Scrimmage with 75 Touchdowns.