As a young player, Ryan led Falcons to four playoff berths in his first five seasons, collecting 56 wins along the way. Granted, the first-round pick in the 2008 NFL Draft was certainly well-prepared after spending five seasons at Boston College honing his craft, but the Falcons made sure he stepped into a lineup that allowed him to grow into the position. Ryan was surrounded by a powerful RB1 (Michael Turner), an explosive WR1 (Roddy White) and a big-play TE1 (Tony Gonzalez, acquired via trade in 2009) and an offensive line with solid pieces on the edges. The composition of the lineup enabled the team to utilize conservative game plans during Ryan's rookie season (27.1 pass attempts per game) before gradually putting more on his shoulders as he grew into a playmaker (32.2 pass attempts to 35.6 ... to 35.3 ... to 38.4) in subsequent seasons. With a veteran-laden defense making just enough plays to complement an efficient offense, Atlanta logged five winning seasons and two NFC South titles. Of course, that roster -- under head coach Mike Smith -- got stale, and the Falcons went three seasons without posting a winning record.