You know it when you see it. Oftentimes, an NFL veteran can know right away if a rookie can play or not in this league. A high draft pick's talent may be obvious immediately, but sometimes other players need a bit more time to adjust to the professional game. The hope for a team like the Atlanta Falcons that seems to be on the rise is that some of their young players end up becoming major contributors.
Over the last few years, we have seen players like Tyler Allgeier, Drake London and Bijan Robinson quickly assert themselves of belonging in the league almost immediately. While it would serve Dirty Bird Nation for more of those top picks, or any picks for that matter, to hit, we have to wait and see what ultimately becomes of Terry Fontenot's most recent additions to make this team even better.
So what I want to do today is to outline a slew of Falcons players, ones that are either rookies or are entering their second seasons with the team, that seem to be trending up heading into 2025. We will not know if any of this will matter until toe meets leather later this fall, but it is always a good thing to hear about players making great strides to level up. This team is so close, but it needs to get there.
Let's start with an undrafted player who is doing his part early on to potentially make this year's team.
5. Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Nick Nash
Atlanta already has a robust receiving corps, but what is one more interesting piece? When the Falcons added former San Jose State star wide receiver Nick Nash as a free agent, this really turned some heads. He is a player who was a former quarterback recruited to play for the Spartans before transitioning to wide receier. Despite a head-coaching change he was highly productive last season.
Nash seems to be vying for the fifth wide receiver spot in Atlanta. We know that Drake London and Darnell Mooney are one and two, with Ray-Ray McCloud III building off a strong season as the No. 3. The primary candidate to be the team's No. 4 wide receiver is special teams ace in Pro Bowler KhaDarel Hodge. Nash will be duking it out with the likes of Chris Blair and Casey Washington here.
There is a chance Nash could end up being the biggest steal of the undrafted free agency class.
4. Atlanta Falcons defensive tackle Ruke Orhorhoro
This was a pleasant surprise to find. Gabriel Burns of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution touched on the strides former second-round pick Ruke Orhorhoro seems to have made in year two with the team. While there were a few moments last year where Orhorhoro looked like a player worthy of his draft selection last year, it was a struggle to see him regularly get on the field. Now, he might be doing that.
The idea behind Burns' observation is the former Clemson star seems to have let the game slow down for him a bit. Atlanta drafted him as a bit of a developmental piece. Clemson usually does defensive linemen better than most college football programs. Not to say this was part of their logic in letting fellow former Clemson star Grady Jarrett walk, but Atlanta is counting on Ohorhoro now.
I have a feeling we are going to know very soon if Orhorhoro can play in this league for the Falcons.
3. Atlanta Falcons safety Billy Bowman Jr.
I was somewhat surprised to see Terrin Waack hyping up Billy Bowman Jr. this much in her observations post in the first day of Falcons' OTAs last month. She wrote that while all five of their draft picks were present, only two got first-team reps in 11-on-11s. While I will touch on the other player in a bit, Bowman had a positive rep that caught the attention of head coach Raheem Morris.
Atlanta used a fourth-round pick on the former Oklahoma standout. He was the fourth of four defensive players taken by the Falcons this past spring. While much has been made about the other former college defensive stars picked ahead of him in edge rushers Jalon Walker and James Pearce Jr., as well as fellow safety Xavier Watts, Atlanta may be counting on Bowman more than we thought.
Waack reported Bowman's rep of note was in place for Dee Alford in the starting nickelback role.
2. Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr.
New Norfolk State head coach and former Falcons legend Michael Vick had nothing but glowing things to say about watching Michael Penix Jr. go to work in practice for the Dirty Birds. He spoke to Will McFadden on the Atlanta Falcons Podcast Network about the team's newest and brightest star. Vick was not only in Penix's shoes before, but his career really took flight in year two back in 2002.
Vick is looking at Penix's growth and development from the eyes of a college football head coach.
"I think this is gonna be an amazing season for him. Just watching practices, it look like everything has slowed down."
Vick added Penix's feel for the pocket, as well as his timing with his teammates seem to be improving.
"He threw a couple touchdown passes today. Good reads, moved well in the pocket. Good pocket presence and good feel for the game. And so, with some complementary players around him like Bijan and Drake and Kyle, these guys are gonna really do some special things this year."
Penix's arm talent and leadership traits are why he went No. 8 overall to the Falcons out of Washington last spring. Atlanta's decision to start him in favor of Kirk Cousins was not an easy one, but one that had to be done. With Penix, it is all about throwing a more consistently catchable ball. Like Vick, he can make throws others cannot, but will he be willing to make the necessary throws?
Even with Cousins trade rumors popping off every day, nobody questions that this is his team now.
1. Atlanta Falcons linebacker Jalon Walker
This is a big deal because of the talent Jalon Walker possesses coming out of Georgia. I was about to pull all of my long blonde hair out if the Falcons moronically passed on Walker at No. 15. They did the right thing and made him the first former Georgia star to be drafted by the Falcons in the first two rounds in any draft. Why did this take so long? The guy is incredibly coachable and so very versatile.
As expected, Walker was the other rookie who was taking reps with the first team in the early days of Falcons OTAs. While Raheem Morris and company want to finally develop a pass rush, having a player who can line up seemingly anywhere in the front-seven who can wreak havoc constantly is such a blessing. A lot is being put on Walker's plate, but he seems to be more than capable of handling it.
Fontenot has hit to varying degrees on all his first-round picks to date, so I expect Walker will thrive.