Getty Julio Jones #11 of the Atlanta Falcons.
The Atlanta Falcons’ rookie minicamp kicked off today. The Falcons invited 10 extra players to try out among the nine 2021 NFL draft rookies and 20 undrafted free agents.
Atlanta was allowed to invite five qualified veterans to camp along with five tryout players with hopes of earning a roster spot. Arthur Smith wasn’t kidding when he said he’ll be adding plenty of competition this offseason.
Below we’ll take a look at who is taking part in rookie camp.
Falcons Veteran Invites
-TE Ryan Becker
-WR Juwan Green
-TE Parker Hesse
-P Dom Maggio
-DB Chris Williamson
The Falcons recently signed blocking tight ends Ryan Becker and Parker Hesse who will compete to join a depth chart that features Kyle Pitts, Hayden Hurst, and Lee Smith.
Juwan Green is a 2020 undrafted free agent wideout who is returning to the Falcons training camp after spending some time in Atlanta on the practice squad last season.
Wake Forest product Dom Maggio will look to beat out Syracuse star Sterling Hofrichter while Chris Williamson shouldn’t have that much competition as the Falcons are lacking at the cornerback position right now.
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Falcons Tryout Players
-DL Eli Ankou, UCLA
-ILB Curtis Bolton, Oklahoma
-QB Jake Dolegala, Central Connecticut State
-DL Olive Sagapolu, Wisconsin
-WR C.J. Saunders, Ohio State
These “tryout” players are a bunch of misfits still looking to make an impact somewhere. Eli Ankou, 27, entered the NFL in 2017 and has played in 27 games and recorded 1.5 career sacks. He will be competing with defensive tackle Oliver Sagapolu, who spent 2019 on the Detroit Lions’ practice squad.
25-year-old Curtis Bolton and 24-year-old quarterback Jake Dolegala both have yet to play in an NFL game and will be looking for a practice squad role at the very least.
And an interesting one, wideout CJ Saunders, who spent 2020 forced to be a grad assistant after missing 2019 due to a knee injury, will get a shot to showcase anything he has left in him. Saunders was last seen at Ohio State’s Pro Day catching passes from QB Justin Fields.
Falcons 2021 UDFA’s
Following the 2021 NFL Draft, the Falcons gave hope to 20 undrafted free agents with Louisville running back Javian Hawkins headlining th group.
RB Javian Hawkins, Louisville
S Marcus Murphy, Mississippi State
DE Eli Howard, Texas Tech
OL Joe Sculthorpe, NC State
OT Kion Smith, Fayetteville State
DT Zac Dawe, BYU
DE Alani Pututau, Adams State
WR Antonio Nunn, Buffalo
CB JR Pace, Northwestern
RB Caleb Huntley, Ball State
OG Ryan Neuzil, Appalachian State
S Dwayne Johnson, Jr., San Diego State
OL Bryce Hargrove, Pittsburgh
DE/LB Kobe Jones, Mississippi State
LB Erroll Thompson, Mississippi State
TE John Raine, Northwestern
QB Feleipe Franks, Arkansas
OT Jack Batho IV, South Dakota School of Mines
WR Austin Trammell, Rice
Falcons Nine Draft Picks
And of course, we can’t forget the Falcons’ nine draft picks who should be the stars of the show this week.
Round 1, pick 4 – Kyle Pitts, TE, Florida
Round 2, pick 40 (from denver) – Richie Grant, S, UCF
Round 3, pick 68 – Jalen Mayfield, OT, Michigan
Round 4, pick 108 – Darren Hall, CB, San Diego State
Round 4, pick 114 – Drew Dalman, C Stanford
Round 5, pick 148 – Ta’Quon Graham, DT, Texas
Round 5, pick 182 – Adetokunbo Ogundeji, DE, Notre Dame
Round 5, pick 183 – Avery Williams, CB, Boise State
Round 6, pick 187 – Frank Darby, WR, Arizona State
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Ohio State WR Among Falcons 10 Invites to Attend Rookie Minicamp