FLOWERY BRANCH -- The Atlanta Falcons defense has largely won the battle of training camp, but the offense fought back during Wednesday’s session at the IBM Performance Center.
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Atlanta’s run defense remained stout, but it allowed more big gains today than in the first two days of pads. It was a similar story through the air, as more explosive plays were hit.
However, that’s not to say the defense had a bad day - just perhaps not as dominant as its previous showings.
The Falcons’ defensive line had another good day of pressuring the quarterbacks; Bud Dupree has frequented the backfield off the edge all week, while Grady Jarrett and David Onyemata continue to wreak havoc inside.
Onyemata started one-on-ones with a good bull rush on left guard Matthew Bergeron, the second time this week he’s gotten the better of his rookie counterpart.
Another defensive tackle who had a strong day is Carlos Davis, who drew praise from Falcons coach Arthur Smith after a session in which he had a good one-on-rep versus Ryan Neuzil and recorded a would-be sack in the team portion. Davis signed with the Falcons this offseason and continues to push his way into contention for a roster spot.
Wednesday was the first day in which new nose tackle Justin Ellis made his presence felt, recording a run stop in team drills. The 6-2, 350-pound Ellis is facing an uphill climb to make the roster but certainly has a defined niche, which he’s starting to showcase.
Another clear winner from the day was second-year outside linebacker DeAngelo Malone, who’s worked mostly at weak side and spent a good mixture of time both on and off the ball. In this session, he proved particularly effective as a pass rusher, using speed and subtle power to create pressure.
The Falcons’ depth at off-ball linebacker was a question entering camp, but thus far, there have been encouraging flashes from the group behind Kaden Elliss, Troy Andersen and Mykal Walker.
Veteran free agent signee Tae Davis has impressed in coverage reps, while 2022 undrafted free agent Nate Landman has quietly created some optimism after consistently standing out in 11-on-11s. He’s also a strong special teams player.
As things stand, Landman and Davis appear to be the favorites to round out the linebackers room, but preseason will ultimately be the deciding factor.
Competition, as it is throughout the entire team, is quite high in the secondary, with several players standing out each day.
The manner in which one-on-ones are run don’t necessarily lend themselves positively to defensive backs, but there have been lessons learned regardless - one of them being that third-year corner Darren Hall has full intentions of making Atlanta’s roster.
Whether it’s facing Drake London in one’s or going up against any of Atlanta’s other targets in team drills, Hall has made a number of splash plays on the ball while often finding himself in the right position.
The star of the show in Atlanta’s secondary thus far has been A.J. Terrell, with the 2021 All-Pro selection playing sticky coverage and knocking away multiple passes.
The safety duo of Jessie Bates III and Richie Grant has gotten off to a good start, while Jaylinn Hawkins has also enjoyed a successful first week of camp, especially with his ball production.
Rookie seventh-round pick DeMarcco Hellams has largely worked with the third-team defense but is getting more comfortable by the day and starting to make more plays.
Of the group that includes Hellams, Micah Abernathy, Lukas Denis and Cliff Chattman, it appears the battle may come down to the first two. Thus far, Abernathy has seen more reps with the first two teams but Hellams has shown the potential to rise to that level.
Elsewhere in the secondary, Tre Flowers and Cornell Armstrong have been on the receiving end of a number of impressive catches, but both players have been in good position more often than not and have left a positive mark on Smith.
The Falcons’ defense continues to produce, and the unit appears to have the talent to be one of the better groups in recent memory.
Atlanta’s fight to prove exactly that will continue on Friday after an off day Thursday, with sights set towards the preseason opener against the Miami Dolphins on Aug. 11.
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