Falcons player Chris Lindstrom finally gets the respect he deserves

Atlanta Falcons guard Chris Lindstrom has quietly been one of the best in the NFL over the past few seasons. But that could change.

Not Lindstrom’s game – but who notices.

ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler has released his annual top-10 lists for each position in recent days. For each position group, Fowler listens to NFL executives, coaches and scouts to evaluate the best players for each spot on the roster.

As a guard, Lindstrom came in position 2.

“Lindstrom was great in 2022, receiving a five-year, $102.5 million contract extension from Atlanta minutes before free agency,” Fowler wrote.

“The league’s evaluators wanted him to do it again. He did, and received the highest guard rating from Pro Football Focus.

Compared to last year, Lindstrom made the biggest jump of any guard on Fowler’s list, moving from 7th to 2nd.

“While other stars are aging or fading, Lindstrom has benefited from a weaker field to move up six spots from last year,” Fowler wrote. “Even though he didn’t appear on every ballot, his percentage of top-two votes (44%) was impressive.”

The two NFC executives Fowler cited in the story spoke about how Lindstrom’s game didn’t have any major weaknesses. However, one AFC executive spoke much more strongly in his favor, telling Fowler that his team has had him “at No. 1 for a number of years.”

Lindstrom has made the Pro Bowl the past two years and was named to the All-Pro second team. Dallas Cowboys right guard Zack Martin was selected to the All-Pro first team ahead of Lindstrom in both of those seasons.

At the left guard position, Joe Thuney of the Kansas City Chiefs was selected to the All-Pro first team in 2023. Joel Bitonio of the Cleveland Browns was selected to the All-Pro first team as a left guard two years ago.

Martin was the only guard ahead of Lindstrom on Fowler’s list this summer. Thuney and Bitonio were ranked in the top five of the list at No. 4 and No. 5, respectively.

Guard Quenton Nelson of the Indianapolis Colts was ranked third.