It's been a difficult week for the first two picks of the Atlanta Falcons' 2020 draft class.
Just two days after first-round pick and All-Pro cornerback A.J. Terrell suffered a hamstring injury that has his status as "week-to-week," the Falcons released defensive lineman Marlon Davidson, who was selected No. 47 overall.
2020 was the final draft class executed by the regime of coach Dan Quinn and general manager Thomas Dimitroff; other notable players from the class include starting linebacker Mykal Walker, starting safety Jaylinn Hawkins (also out this week due to a concussion) and backup center Matt Hennessy.
A highly touted player out of Auburn, Davidson's disappointing tenure in Atlanta came to an early close in large part due to an inability to stay on the field - almost from the start. He battled injuries and a stint on the COVID-19 list during his rookie campaign, limiting him to just eight games.
After experiencing his first regular NFL offseason last summer, Davidson seemed poised for a bounce-back second season but succumbed to the same things that plagued him during year one, forcing him to miss six games.
Entering 2022, Davidson needed to prove he could stay on the field and emerge into the player many thought he could be out of college. However, he suffered a knee injury during training camp, and while Falcons coach Arthur Smith said Davidson wouldn't miss much regular season action, he's remained on injured reserve since Week 1.
In all, the 6-3, 303-pound Davidson played in 19 games with one start across two seasons, recording 29 tackles, one sack, one tackle for loss and a quarterback hurry. The highlight of his Atlanta tenure was a pick-six on Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady during the latter stages of last season.
Still just 24, Davidson has yet to truly show what he's capable of in the NFL. However, with second-year pro Ta'Quon Graham having a strangle hold on the starting five-technique position, undrafted rookie defensive tackle Timmy Horne impressing coaches and preseason standout Jalen Dalton back on the practice squad, there simply wasn't enough room for Davidson.
In the end, Davidson's time in Atlanta came to a sudden end, but the writing had been on the walls dating back to training camp. Not only did the Falcons run out of space on the roster, but they simply didn't have the patience or time to keep Davidson on the roster moving forward.
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