We made it! Once again we finally made it to the NFL season as training camp is finally here and underway with all 32 teams, and that also means it’s time to talk depth charts and training camp battles.
Thomas Mott is doing just that for the Atlanta Falcons, as he gives you the top five position battles to look out for in Atlanta where new head coach Arthur Smith and general manager Terry Fontenot attempt to put the Falcons back in contention.
Offensive Line
The Falcons' offensive line is right now a position group full of young potential. However, it is also a position group that lacks veterans to help groom the young and still inconsistent lineman. Very good left tackle Jake Matthews will be fine protecting Matt Ryan’s blindside. But with Alex Mack going to the 49ers, the left guard spot being wide open, and Arthur Smith and Terry Fontenot bringing in their own pair of offensive lineman in this year's draft in Jalen Mayfield and Drew Dalman, it’s tough to even say third-year guys and former first-round picks Chris Lindstrom and Kaleb McGary are set-in-stone starters on the right side of the offensive line. With fresh eyes from a new regime Atlanta's offensive line could look very different, and is the biggest and the most wide open position battle the team has.
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Wide Receiver No. 3
It is now the post-Julio Jones era in Atlanta, and with Calvin Ridley ready to take over as Ryan’s No. 1 target, Russell Gage who came on strong last year will most likely move up to the No. 2 wideout. Who will be No. 3?
The Falcons brought in veteran receiver Tajae Sharpe this offseason. Sharpe was with the Minnesota Vikings last season, but only appeared in four games and had three targets with no receptions. However, prior to last year he spent three seasons with the Tennessee Titans, so that connection with Arthur Smith may be enough to land Sharpe the No. 3 wideout spot.
However, we can’t count out Olamide Zaccheaus and Christian Blake as contenders for the spot. Zaccheaus is a speedy guy who could be a consistent deep threat for Ryan. And let’s not forget Zaccheaus had the longest receiving touchdown of any wide receiver in the NFL in 2019 as he took a bomb from Ryan to the house for 93 yards in Week 14 against the Panthers. The 5-foot-8 speedster out of Virginia also caught a 51-yard bomb last season, so the connection is there between Ryan and Zaccheaus and the long-ball chemistry could help Olamide secure himself that spot.
Third-year man out of Northern Illinois Christian Blake was solid in limited snaps last year, and the Falcons sixth-round pick in Frank Darby has a lot of raw talent. But these two guys will most likely need to do a lot in training camp and the preseason to become the Falcons' third wide receiver. All in all this is still a very interesting position to keep an eye on.
Backup Running Back
It’s pretty clear at this point that barring a free agent pickup Mike Davis will be the No. 1 running back in Atlanta, but who will his backup be? Qadree Ollison seems to be the popular answer to that question, but it’s not clear what to expect from him because he honestly just hasn’t played that much.
The fifth-round pick out of Pittsburgh had a somewhat productive rookie campaign with 22 attempts for 50 yards and four touchdowns. However, in a crowded running back room last year, Ollison appeared in only three games where he carried the ball one time for a whopping 3 yards. Now, it’s not all bad because a guy who might be your backup running back should be very fresh and ready to go, and there isn’t much film on him either.
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Free agent acquisition Cordarrelle Patterson will also likely see time at running back with his experience at the position. But with Patterson being a return specialist I anticipate the Falcons using Patterson in that role mostly, along with some touches at running back and maybe even receiver for gadget plays and empty sets.
Another realistic option at the backup running back position could also be undrafted free agent Javian Hawkins, who could turn out to be a diamond in the rough for the Falcons, as he was very effective during his time at Louisville. Hawkins played in 13 games in 2019 where he ran for 1,525 yards on 264 attempts and nine touchdowns. Hawkins only played in eight games in 2020, but still managed to rack up 822 yards on 133 attempts with seven touchdowns.
Long story short, Ollison may be the favorite to be the backup running back right now, but don’t be surprised if you see Hawkins take that spot in Week 1, or possibly even throughout the season.
The No. 2 Corner Spot
The Falcons are extremely young at the cornerback position. After a very nice rookie season, second-year man A.J. Terrell is the undoubted No. 1 corner coming into the season. However, there is no obvious answer right now as to who will line up across the field from Terrell as the No. 2 corner. Third-year man out of Ohio State Kendall Sheffield seems to be the answer right now.
Sheffield has seen a lot of action in first two years though, as he started 11 games in his rookie year, and nine games last year. While Sheffield hasn’t recorded an interception in the National Football League yet, he did collect three pass deflections in each of his first two years in the league. Smith and Fontenot did draft two corners in this year's Draft selecting Darren Hall and Avery Williams with their 108th and 183rd overall picks. So in a position that’s so young it would not be surprising if either one of the rookies end up starting in Week 1.
Lastly, everyone close to the Falcons believes fourth-year man Isaiah Oliver will be the slot corner for the Dirty Birds. But with him having a lot of experience in the young backfield, depending on how he performs, he could be in the running for that No. 2 corner spot as well.
Marlon Davidson vs. Ta’Queon Graham
Yes, this last one is a specific battle between two guys because we know Dante Fowler Jr. and Grady Jarrett are expected to be the anchors and main playmakers. But who will be that dude making plays on the opposite side of Fowler and maybe even next to Jarrett?
Well, Falcons fans are hoping the answer is both.
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I’m sure Smith, Fontenot, the entire Falcons organization, and all of Falcons fandom hope that second-year guy Marlon Davidson and rookie Ta'quon Graham are both so good that you have to play Davidson at the other tackle position next to Grady and you have to put Graham on the opposite side of Fowler because they both are wreaking havoc on offensive lines across the league.
However, that might not happen, so it will be interesting to see if Davidson bounces back from an injury-ridden rookie campaign and makes plays from every part of the defensive line as he was expected to do coming out of Auburn last year, or if the rookie Graham out of Texas will impress and find instant success in his rookies season in the NFL.
The Falcons are headed in the right direction under the leadership of Fontenot and Smith it seems like, and these battles in training camp this season could not only shape what the roster looks like this season, but also what the long-term roster of the Falcons could look like for seasons to come.