Falcons Rookie Hellams Stars, Makes Roster Claim vs. Steelers

From start to finish, Atlanta Falcons seventh-round safety DeMarcco Hellams’ preseason was not only highly impressive, but significantly encouraging.

For Hellams, the preseason began with a start against the Miami Dolphins alongside the second-team defense after largely working with the third team throughout training camp.

The 23-year-old Hellams immediately rewarded Atlanta’s faith, finishing as the team’s leading tackler with seven. It was largely a continuation of what he did at Alabama, as he led the Crimson Tide in tackles last season with 108.

Adding onto his strong debut performance, Hellams recorded an interception on that opening drive and made another the week after against the Cincinnati Bengals, entering the preseason finale as the Falcons’ leading tackler with 12 while boasting the two takeaways.

The consecutive standout showings raised Hellams’ roster odds substantially entering Thursday night’s game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, as he seemed to be on the right side of the bubble and leading candidate to be the No. 4 safety.

And still, Hellams had work to do … and while he didn’t make it three interceptions in as many games, he made a noticeable impact in Atlanta’s 24-0 loss to Pittsburgh inside Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

By the end of the first quarter, Hellams had five tackles, adding one more to his game total while tying with cornerback Breon Borders for the most solo tackles with four ... against the Steelers' starting offense.

After the game, Falcons coach Arthur Smith shared that he thought it was a good thing the backups played against starters, as it showed what they're able to do versus the best an opponent has to offer.

And in the case of Hellams, lots was shown - most of which the Falcons already knew, as Smith has consistently praised his young safety for being around the football while noting that he "shows up when the lights are on."

The final determination on whether Hellams makes Atlanta's 53-man roster will come on Tuesday, with teams set to go from 90 players to 53 by 4 p.m. EST.

But Hellams certainly seems to be in a good spot; not only has he produced at a high level, but he embodies what Smith and defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen have built the team around: aggression and physicality.

And best of all, Hellams continues to prove he's exactly who the Falcons think he is - a big-time performer when the stakes are high ... and he seems to have done enough to play his way onto a regular season professional roster of a team with legitimate playoff aspirations.