The Atlanta Falcons have gotten their fair share of accolades already this year, and there may be one more in the offing.

NFL announced #Eagles QB Carson Wentz finalist for Rookie of the Year. Ezekiel Elliott, Dak Prescott, Joey Bosa and Deion Jones are others. — Jeff McLane (@Jeff_McLane) January 6, 2017

Jones is a far better bet for this list than Wentz, but unfortunately I expect Bosa to take home the Defensive Rookie of the Year award. It’d be tough to argue against his 108 tackles, three interceptions, 11 pass deflections, and incredible speed and physicality, which represented a major upgrade for a Falcons linebacker corps that had lacked that speed and physicality. He was a terrific player, and I imagine he’ll continue to be a terrific player in the future. I’m hopeful he’ll surprise and get this award.

I think you can make a potent case for fellow rookie Keanu Neal, even though he missed some games, and I’ll plan to do so later this weekend. For now, though, deserved congratulations to Deion Jones, who will be a key piece of this defense for the playoffs.