Summer school: Falcons’ rookie class aced first exams, poised to play early

FLOWERY BRANCH — The group’s mettle won’t be truly tested until the regular season begins, but Falcons general manager Ian Cunningham’s first draft class has largely aced its early exams.

The Falcons entered draft week with five picks and finished with six. They exited training camp with seven rookies on their 53-man roster and an eighth still part of the organization on the non-football injury list.

And there’s a chance at least four see extensive snaps in Week 1.

There may be no harder, no more chaotic, time period for the Falcons’ rookies than the one they just completed. The dash from the end of their final college seasons, to the pre-draft process, to acclimating within an NFL atmosphere, to earning a spot on the final roster is long, arduous and taxing.

It’s also accompanied by longer days in the facility — but that’s part of the reason why the rookies have hit the ground running.

“The rookies get extra meeting time than the veterans do,” Falcons coach Kevin Stefanski said in training camp. “The veterans have an 11-hour rule; the rookies do not. So, there’s a few more minutes in the day that you can spend with your rookies, and I think it’s always good for young players to take advantage of opportunities when they come about.”

Those meetings often last around 30 minutes and feature the installation of concepts and a look ahead at the next day’s practice. It’s all about preparation, learning and hastening the acclimation process.

Now, the Falcons’ crop of first-year players appears poised to factor into the team’s fabric this fall. Here’s a player-by-player look at those who made the 53-man roster, including a review of what they’ve done and how much action they may see Week 1.

CB Avieon Terrell

Projected role: Starting nickel corner

Training camp review: Terrell missed two weeks of practice because of an ankle injury but returned Aug. 24 to the same place he left off: running with the first-team defense. In OTAs, he started as a third-string outside corner, and the Falcons cross-trained him on the perimeter and in the slot during the first week of training camp. Nickel has become his home over the past week, and he started in the slot in the team’s preseason finale.

What Falcons say: “His preparation will tell us that, and how he progresses,” Falcons secondary coach Justin Hood said Aug. 26 about how much of an impact Terrell will make this year. “We don’t really look that far ahead, kind of just day to day right now where we are. And I’d say today, he’s growing a lot and that’s what we’re excited most about him.”

WR Zachariah Branch

Projected role: No. 4 receiver with manufactured touches, starting punt returner

Training camp review: Branch finished second on the team in targets (42) and receptions (27) in camp, trailing only star receiver Drake London. He’s the Falcons’ most prominent vertical weapon, and the team often put the ball in his hands with receiver screens and end-arounds. He likely won’t start right away, but Branch should get a few touches each game — he’s too explosive and has too much potential with the ball in his hands to not be involved.

What Falcons say: “I think Zach has a chance to be special,” receivers coach Robert Prince said Aug. 12. “In college, you saw him a lot with bubble screens, but we’ve opened up his route tree and you’ll see him going down the field. We really expanded his passing tree.”

LB Kendal Daniels

Projected role: Starter/rotational linebacker

Training camp review: Daniels didn’t practice during OTAs and mandatory minicamp due a lingering calf injury from college, which he’ll have to manage the remainder of his career. But he took mental reps during his absence and flourished in training camp. Daniels wore the green dot and communicated play-calls for two weeks with the first-team defense when Divine Deablo went down with an injury, and when Deablo returned, Daniels still took a fair dose of snaps next to Deablo with the starters.

What Falcons say: “Very diligent young man from the day he stepped on campus, learning different positions,” Stefanski said Aug. 24. “But very intelligent. You look at his college career, played different positions. I think that has helped him in his young pro career. But just doing what he’s supposed to do. There’s some parts of this game where you hear coaches say, ‘Hey, do your job,’ and he’s done his job.”

DT Anterio Thompson

Projected role: Non-football injury list

Training camp review: Thompson has been present in the Falcons’ meeting rooms, but he’s yet to take the field this offseason. Stefanski has been quiet on Thompson’s absence and the reasoning behind it, and the sixth-round pick hasn’t been spotted on the sidelines during the team’s practices. Whether he plays this year remains to be seen.

What Falcons say: “Still working through that,” Stefanski said Aug. 7.

LB Harold Perkins Jr.

Projected role: Starter/rotation with Daniels

Training camp review: Perkins has been the Falcons’ most pleasant off-season surprise at any position. The sixth-round pick started the preseason finale next to Deablo and recorded three tackles in five drives, the most on the team before exiting the game. Perkins aligned in various spots, especially in pass-rushing scenarios, and the Falcons appear interested in giving the 6-foot-1, 222-pounder the chance to create pressure this fall. He’s going to play — extensively.

What Falcons say: “I’ve been around plenty of guys that don’t have the quote-unquote exact measurements that you think you want at height or length and those types of things,” Stefanski said Aug. 10. “But he’s plenty big, he’s plenty fast, plenty strong, and he’s got the right attitude. We’ll keep bringing him along based on what he earns over the course of these weeks.”

OL Ethan Onianwa

Projected role: Backup tackle/guard

Training camp review: While starting right tackle Jawaan Taylor rehabbed his knee after undergoing surgery in March, Onianwa took snaps with the first-team offensive line in training camp, often rotating with Michael Jerrell and the since-released Brandon Walton. Onianwa, who played tackle at Rice but served as a reserve guard last season at Ohio State, has the versatility to play either spot in the NFL, which makes him a valuable backup.

What Falcons say: “Ethan’s doing a nice job,” Stefanski said Aug. 12. “We’ve thrown a lot at him. He’s done, really, a good job understanding the system, and he’s making rookie mistakes like all rookies make mistakes, but pleased with his progress and we’ll keep bringing him along.”

QB Jack Strand

Projected role: Third- or fourth-string quarterback

Training camp review: Strand started camp as the Falcons’ only healthy quarterback and subsequently took all the first-team snaps in 11-on-11 periods during the first few practices. He fell down the depth chart behind Tua Tagovailoa, Michael Penix Jr. and Cooper Rush, but a strong preseason made him difficult to release. So, the Falcons kept four quarterbacks, and the undrafted free agent from Division II Minnesota State-Moorhead beat the odds of making the team.

What Falcons say: “Jack’s been great, man. Like, done a really nice job,” offensive coordinator Tommy Rees said Aug. 25. “(Quarterbacks coach Alex) Van Pelt cannot say enough positive things about his development and where he’s grown to where he was in rookie minicamp to where he is now. Great head on his shoulders. Pretty unflappable in terms of just his ability to handle information, stay calm, stay poised.”

CB Malcolm DeWalt IV

Projected role: Backup corner, special teams contributor

Training camp review: DeWalt, an undrafted rookie from Akron, routinely flashed during the early parts of training camp and had a brilliant preseason opener against the Denver Broncos, nearly intercepting a pass and shining on special teams. He can be an asset in punt and kick coverage, and the Falcons are optimistic about his future at corner, too.