Falcons stock report: Risers, fallers from preseason win vs. Dolphins

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — With roster cuts looming Sunday night, the Falcons closed the preseason with a 17-12 victory over the Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium.

The Falcons played the bulk of their starting offense and defense for the first quarter, then turned to the second- and third-string units for the final three quarters.

Only six Falcons players didn’t dress in warmups, and the team’s decision-makers will have no shortage of reps to evaluate throughout their roster.

Here’s who helped — and hurt — their cause Friday night.

Stock up

TE Kyle Pitts

Pitts finished the night with three catches for 59 yards, and he delivered the first-team offense’s two most explosive plays, with catch-and-runs for 37 and 16 yards.

Throughout training camp, the Falcons showed a desire to get the ball into the hands of their tight ends. Pitts received run-after-catch opportunities Friday night and delivered — and in two preseason appearances spanning five drives, he caught six passes for 81 yards.

LB Harold Perkins Jr.

When the Falcons’ first-team defense took the field for the first play from scrimmage, Perkins, a sixth-round rookie from LSU, flanked Divine Deablo as the starting linebacker.

Perkins and fourth-round rookie Kendal Daniels heavily rotated next to Deablo, but Perkins made a particular splash. He tallied three tackles in five drives, which led the team at the time, and added a strip sack on Dolphins quarterback Cam Miller.

The Falcons appear poised to give their rookie linebackers extensive playing time this fall, and Perkins validated it Friday night.

DB DeMarcco Hellams

While he was at Alabama, Hellams earned the nickname “Hitman” for the violence and ferocity of his tackles. He proved why Friday, delivering back-to-back big hits to force pass breakups and get the defense off the field in the first quarter.

Hellams, who started at safety next to Xavier Watts with Jessie Bates III sitting out because of a back injury suffered in early August, didn’t record an official tackle — but he made his presence felt in a significant way.

DT Chris Williams

Williams recorded a sack in the Falcons’ 34-6 win over the Colts in the second week of the preseason, and he followed with a blocked field goal and quarterback hit Friday night.

The Falcons have a deep defensive tackle room, and Williams has seemingly done enough to solidify his spot in the group.

TE Nick Muse

Muse caught two passes for 10 yards, but his role Friday night — and in recent practices — is eye-catching.

He was the lead blocker on Brian Robinson Jr.’s 3-yard touchdown run, the lone score by the first-team offense in its three possessions. He also earned a spot on the protection team for the opening kickoff.

Muse, who signed with the Falcons on Aug. 11, has seen a few first-team snaps as a blocker in training camp. He’s on the outside looking in of the AJC’s 53-man roster projection, but he may end up being a surprise inclusion come Sunday night.

Stock down

OT Jawaan Taylor

Dating back to 2021, Taylor leads the NFL with 74 penalties, including 56 over the past three years, according to Pro Football Focus. The next-closest player, Bills tackle Dion Dawkins, has committed only 56 infractions.

Taylor made his preseason debut Friday night, and he was flagged twice for false starts in three drives. Blocking has never been the question for Taylor, who’s started 111 games since entering the league as a second-round pick in 2019.

Perhaps Friday night can be chalked up as rust from his first game since last November, but it certainly didn’t ease the penalty concerns.

Second-half offense