From a redshirted college prospect to an NFL's highest-graded safety
In short: Jessie Bates III didn't take the direct path to stardom. After choosing to redshirt his first year of college football, he transformed into one of the most efficient defensive backs in the league, eventually earning a second-team All-Pro nod and becoming a cornerstone for two different NFL franchises.
Bates' journey began at Snider High School in Indiana before he committed to Wake Forest in 2015. Unlike many high-profile prospects who jump straight into the spotlight, Bates chose to redshirt his first year. This patience paid off in 2016 when he played all 13 games as a redshirt freshman, recording five interceptions and earning a spot on the USA Today Freshman All-America Team.
His professional trajectory was marked by rapid ascent and high-stakes performance. Following George Iloka's departure during August 2018, he transitioned from a reserve position to primary free safety after being taken by the Cincinnati Bengals as a second-round pick in the 2018 draft. By 2020, his impact reached a peak: Pro Football Focus graded him as the highest-ranked safety in the entire league with an overall grade of 90.1.
Bates became a fixture of Cincinnati's postseason success, starting in Super Bowl LVI in February 2022 where he recorded a crucial end-zone interception against the Los Angeles Rams. Despite being placed on the franchise tag in March 2022—a move often used to keep elite players from free agency—his career took another turn in March 2023 when he signed a massive four-year, $64.02 million contract with the Atlanta Falcons.
His career serves as a study in defensive versatility and reliability. Across his time in Cincinnati, he consistently balanced high tackle volumes with ball-hawking ability, recording multiple interceptions and pass deflections across different seasons and coaching regimes. He now enters a new chapter in Atlanta as the de facto starting free safety.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: Jessie Bates
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