MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Several Falcons rookies are set to make their NFL debut when they face the Dolphins at 7 p.m. Friday at Hard Rock Stadium.
The Falcons held joint practices with the Dolphins on Tuesday and Wednesday. If tight end Jonnu Smith had his way, the Falcons would train in South Florida more often.
“I think Miami is the best place to train for NFL athletes all-year round,” Smith said. “You can come in here in December, January or February and you’re going to get this weather. It may rain every five minutes, but you are going to get this weather.”
With the veterans not expected to play or to play sparingly, the Falcons will reach deep into their 90-man roster to get evaluations of the depth on the roster.
One of the challenging issues for the rookies are the new pro play-calls on offense.
“You really have to know the whole sentence,” Falcons wide receiver Keilahn Harris said. “You have to listen to the personnel, the formation, and then towards the middle it’s usually what the big guys do, then towards the end you have the play-calls and the concepts.”
Learning the NFL play-calls is one of the rookie’s major challenges.
“Being able to read a longer playbook, just a longer sentence ... because in college we had one call and that told everybody what to do,” said Harris, an undrafted rookie from Oklahoma Baptist. “Here, it’s a (long sentence).”
Running back Carlos Washington Jr., an undrafted rookie from Southeastern Louisiana and New Hampshire, has adjusted.
“In college, we have one-word plays and things of that nature,” Washington said. “Last season, we ran a pro-styled offense. I’m running very similar plays; it’s just more verbiage.”
Here are five younger players to watch in the exhibition opener:
1. Josh Ali, wide receiver: Backup quarterback Taylor Heinicke found him open deep on the first day of the joint practices.
Ali, 24, who’s 6-foot-3 and 192 pounds, played at Kentucky. He’s had a strong training camp.
“He’s coming along really well,” Falcons wide receiver coach T.J. Yates said.
2. Keilahn Harris, wide receiver: Harris played in 34 games and made 32 starts at Oklahoma Baptist from 2019-22.
He finished with 196 catches for 2,510 yards and 26 touchdowns at the Division II school.
“Coming from where I come from, it’s a difference in the playbook,” Harris said. “Being able to learn that and process it quickly, that’s one of the biggest things that I’m focusing on.”
Harris is from Richardson, Texas, and was not heavily recruited.
“Oklahoma Baptist was my only (scholarship) offer coming out of high school,” Harris said. “I knew what my goal was, so I just went there, kept my head down and just competed where I was.”
Harris holds the school record for most return yards in a season (447) and is a candidate for the open punt-returner job. He did most of his damage on kickoff returns in college.
“I’m just waiting my turn,” Harris said. “I’m back there with the other guys. I’m pretty sure it’s all a competition right now. I’m just learning the technique of catching punts and reading the punt team.”
3. Carlos Washington Jr., running back: Washington played last season at Southeastern Louisiana after playing three seasons at New Hampshire.
Washington, who’s 5-11 and 220 pounds, played in 35 games and rushed 394 times for 1,928 yards (4.9 per carry) and 24 touchdowns.
“It’s been a great learning experience coming from Southeastern,” Washington said of training camp. “A lot of guys don’t get this opportunity on this level. Just trying to continue soaking up the game, taking each day, one day at a time. Just trying to come out every day, produce and show my value.”
The Falcons are likely to turn to Washington and Godwin Igwebuike to handle the rushing load in the exhibition games. Running backs Cordarrelle Patterson, Tyler Allgeier and Bijan Robinson are expected to play sparingly.
“This is just a new opportunity,” Washington said. “You get to play somebody else. Against another team, you get to lay it all on the line.”
4. Matthew Bergeron, left guard: In 2021 exhibition opener against the Titans, Falcons coach Arthur Smith started rookies Drew Dalman at center and Jalen Mayfield at tackle.
While Smith may not use the starters against Dolphins, he may want to get Bergeron, who was picked in the second round, his first NFL action as he’s being converted to guard. He played tackle at Syracuse.
Bergeron has been prepping for move by going against defensive tackles Grady Jarrett and David Onyemata in practice.
“It’s been a good learning process,” Bergeron said. “Those guys are some of the best. Being a rookie and being able to go up those guys at an early stage in my career helps me a lot especially with the transition of going from tackle to guard, it’s been good.”
5. Zach Harrison, defensive end: Harrison, who was drafted in the third round out of Ohio State, had a strong week of practice against the Dolphins.
The Falcons have been impressed with his play.
