Tampa Bay Buccaneers Sign Former Atlanta Falcons 2024 Draft Pick per Report

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will face the Atlanta Falcons to open the 2025 season. The Bucs are battling injuries in their offensive backfield with running back Rachaad White listed as day-to-day.

To help make up for practice reps in the preseason, the Buccaneers are signing former Falcons' 6th-round pick Jase McClellan, according to Adam Schefter on X.

McClellan starred for the Alabama Crimson Tide before spending a season in Atlanta. He rushed for 890 yards and eight touchdowns in 2023 for Alabama. He added 15 catches for 137 yards that season.

The Falcons' draft strategy in 2024 was at odds with a "win-now" mentality, with the majority of their picks set to back up established veterans. Michael Penix Jr. to Kirk Cousins, Ruke Orhorhoro and Brandon Dorlus to David Onyemata and Grady Jarrett as examples.

Still, the McClellan pick seemed a bit strange with two established running backs on the roster, plenty of depth, and a desperate need for more help in the secondary.

Like the rest of his class, McClellan didn't contribute much as a rookie. He dressed for just two games and had 13 carries for 32 yards last season. Unlike the rest of his classmates, McClellan wasn't expected to add much to the 2025 team either. Penix, Orhorhoro, and Dorlus are expected to play big roles for the Falcons this season.

McClellan was placed on injured reserve by Atlanta in December, and they cut him in June.

McClellan was the first of three sixth-round picks in 2024. The Falcons also took wide receiver Casey Washington and defensive tackle Zion Logue. Washington is in a battle for a roster spot in a suddenly deep receiver room. Logue didn't make the 53-man roster and was poached off the Falcons' practice squad by the Buffalo Bills.

Washington appeared in eight games for the Falcons last season, mostly on special teams. Logue played in two games for the Bills before being waived and re-signed to their practice squad, where he is trying to make the roster.

Despite sweeping the Buccaneers in their season series last season, the Falcons still found themselves looking up at Tampa Bay in the NFC South for the fifth consecutive season. Atlanta hasn't finished ahead of Tampa since 2018, when they finished 7-9 and the Bucs finished 5-11.

Beating the Buccaneers is no guarantee of division supremacy, see 2024, but it would help get the Falcons' season off to a strong start at home as they look to build momentum with a young quarterback and revamped defense.

McClellan isn't likely to play a factor in that game. The Falcons will have to figure out how to slow down the ground attack of White and Bucky Irving on Sunday, September 7th, at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.