5 players who Falcons need to be great in 2020

2. Hayden Hurst

The Falcons may have made a good finanical decision to let Austin Hooper leave in free agency, but it takes a valuable playmaker away from their offense. It also puts a ton of pressure on Henry to do everything he can to make fans forget about Hooper’s 2019 heroics.

Hurst is a very different tight end than Hooper. He isn’t a pass catcher who is going to produce a ton of yards after the catch, but his size does make him an intriguing target down the field. Look for Ryan to target him frequently in the red zone and on deep routes down the seam.

Hurst should also give the Falcons’ run game a boost in terms of blocking on the edge. Hooper is a terrific receiver but his effort in terms of in-line blocking leaves a lot to be desired. Hurst will give Atlanta’s running backs a lot more help than they received from tight ends last season.

In the end, Hurst just needs to focus on the things he can bring to this offense. He needs to be a good blocker and an above average receiver. He won’t be as flashy as Hooper was a season ago, but there’s no reason he can’t give his new offense a different sort of lift.