Coach Smith: Falcons Rookie Hellams 'Doing a Nice Job,' Eyes Preseason Impact

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Logan Woodside took the snap, dropped back and looked downfield.

Woodside saw undrafted rookie receiver Keilahn Harris running deep and thought he had a chance to hit a big play - but another rookie, safety DeMarcco Hellams, had different plans.

Hellams, a seventh-round pick out of Alabama, came roaming over to make an interception that ended the offense's two-minute drill and ultimately brought Saturday's training camp practice to a close, helping the defense finish on a high note.

It's simply the next good play that Hellams has made during camp; he's put together several impressive reps in coverage against tight ends during one-on-ones, and he's been reliable on the back end.

The 6-1, 213-pound Hellams, nicknamed "Hitman," arrived with the outside reputation of being more of a heavy-hitting, run-defending safety, but he's played quite a bit of single high for Atlanta's third-string defense.

Following the draft, Falcons general manager Terry Fontenot stressed Hellams' versatility, and for good reason - per Pro Football Focus, he played 535 snaps at free safety (188 of which were shaded to the hash in two-high looks), 206 snaps in the box and 151 snaps at nickel corner, in addition to his work on special teams.

This was merely a continuation of Hellams' two-fold impact, which he proved time and again during his high school days at DeMatha Catholic, just outside of Washington, D.C., where he won Washington Post Metro Offensive Player of the Year after catching 21 touchdown passes ... all the while recording 12 interceptions as a defensive back.

In essence, impressive reps and highlight reel plays are nothing new for Hellams - and Falcons coach Arthur Smith has enjoyed watching them firsthand.

"He was a fun player to evaluate," Smith said on Saturday. "The guy got there, came out of a big program there in D.C. in DeMatha, went down to Alabama and persevered and you just saw him pop all over the tape. You saw that today."

Hellams, 23, played in 54 games across four seasons in Tuscaloosa and led the Crimson Tide in tackles last season with 108, good enough to rank sixth in the SEC. He added three tackles for loss, seven pass breakups and an interception in 2022.

As such, Hellams arrived in Atlanta with the pedigree of being a proven high-level contributor, and throughout the entirety of the summer, he's done nothing but help his cause.

“DeMarcco is doing a nice job," Smith said. "I think he’s done a really good job as a communicator back there and he’s a guy that I’m really excited to see in the preseason. We’ll see how that translates.”

Hellams is still fighting for a spot on the roster, with the No. 4 safety job likely coming down to he and Micah Abernathy, making the preseason even more critical.

But thus far, Hellams has done a job - flash in the right way, and make his new coach "really excited" to see more ... with his first live action set to come on Aug. 11, when the Falcons travel to Miami for a road game against the Dolphins to kick off the preseason.

Will Hellams continue to impress? The answer will be in soon enough ... but one thing's for certain: he'll be all over the field with his versatility on full display, all the while drawing extra attention from Smith, Fontenot and the rest of Atlanta's staff during this ever-important time in his professional career.