Falcons rookie Kendal Daniels can ‘contribute early’ despite ailing calf

FLOWERY BRANCH — Kendal Daniels can’t pinpoint the moment it all changed, nor does he know exactly what it is.

But the Falcons rookie linebacker’s calf injury, which he said may be considered tendinitis, has been a detriment to the offseason — and will be a factor moving forward.

“The healthy part, we’re still trying to figure it out,” Daniels said last week. “Just taking it day by day. I don’t think my body will ever get 110% like I was in high school, but just dealing with it every day and being a pro about it.”

There wasn’t a single practice session, or a faulty step in the middle of a play, that caused Daniels’ calf to flare up. It progressively worsened over time, and he played the entirety of his final college season at Oklahoma while managing the injury.

Daniels learned how to minimize the pain. He wakes up earlier and warms up more before practice. But the effects still linger.

A fourth-round pick in April’s draft, Daniels missed all of OTAs and mandatory minicamp while resting his calf. He participated in the Falcons’ first two training camp practices before taking a scheduled rest day, which coach Kevin Stefanski said will be part of the plan for Daniels moving forward.

“I feel that we have a good plan for his injury,” Stefanski said. “He’s addressed it, and we will continue to be smart about it.”

Daniels impressed the Falcons with his off-field habits during his first two months with the organization. He couldn’t physically practice, but linebackers coach Barrett Ruud said Daniels took significant mental reps and “prepared how a veteran would” if they weren’t live snaps.

That served as a soft springboard for Daniels to hit the ground running in training camp.

The 6-foot-5 242-pounder has slotted in as a second-string linebacker and, at times, rotated with the first-team defense next to starter Divine Deablo. Daniels isn’t shy about using his voice, either. When he’s the second-team middle linebacker, he’s responsible for communicating play calls and setting the defense.

Deablo said Daniels and fellow rookie linebacker Harold Perkins Jr. are “way ahead” mentally of where he expected them to be at this point in the offseason. Ruud credited Daniels’ early success to the same intangibles he flashed during his time on the sideline earlier this summer.

“I think the No. 1 thing with Kendal is he’s a very mature kid,” Ruud said. “So, he spends a lot of time on it, takes a lot of pride in his work, his preparation. Coming from Oklahoma, I think he was trained really well there, and he already demonstrates a lot of professional football player qualities.”

Daniels turns 24 in December, and he spent the break between minicamp and training camp moving into a new house with his wife, Raigen, and his daughter, Kilyn.

Maturity is a central piece to his identity. So, too, is versatility.

Oklahoma coach Brent Venables put Daniels in a multitude of positions last season. A converted safety, Daniels played everywhere from deep safety to the line of scrimmage. He recorded 53 tackles, including nine tackles for loss, to go along with three pass breakups and two quarterback hurries.

“It’s going to be fun developing him,” Falcons defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich said during OTAs, “and really seeing where he fits and where he can contribute Year 1.”

The Falcons are banking on Ulbrich’s past success with safeties-turned-linebackers applying to Daniels. There’s already one example in the defensive meeting room in Deablo, a college safety who had his best season as an NFL linebacker last year, his first in Ulbrich’s system.

Ulbrich sees similarities between Daniels and Deablo, not just in terms of length and position changes. And Ulbrich ultimately believes any success Daniels tastes as a pro will be attributed, in large part, to Deablo’s mentorship.

They’re already off to a strong start.

“Whatever question he has, I’ll answer them, obviously,” Deablo said. “And then if I see anything on the field that he might need help with, I’ll let him know for sure.”

The Falcons plan to utilize several different options alongside Deablo this fall. After losing Kaden Elliss, who led the team in tackles last season but signed with the Saints in free agency, there’s a void both in production and role.

Daniels has experience playing on the line of scrimmage. He’s a seasoned cover candidate. And while he’s still learning the intricacies of playing linebacker — he made the transition in 2024 — the other two aspects may be enough to get him on the field early as a rookie.

“I think he’s got the ability to play (and) contribute early,” Ruud said. “Obviously, everything’s a process and you don’t want to overload anybody too quick, but he’s done a really nice job so far.”

Remember the maturity point? Age and experience matters there, and it’s carrying Daniels’ mindset into his first professional season.