1. The no-spin zone: Several coaches from Historically Black Colleges and Universities were stunned last season when no players were drafted by NFL teams.
Jackson State coach Deion Sanders went on a rant when only 22 of 32 NFL teams showed up for their Pro Day this offseason.
There was an HBCU combine last year in Birmingham, and this year one was held before the Senior Bowl in Mobile.
This year three defensive backs and an offensive lineman from HBCU schools have a shot to be drafted in the middle rounds, and perhaps a team will take a chance on Alabama A&M quarterback Aqeel Glass.
Southern offensive lineman Ja’Tyre Carter, South Carolina State cornerback Decobie Durant, Fayetteville State cornerback Joshua Williams and Florida A&M safety Markquese Bell could be selected in the middle-to-late rounds of the NFL draft, which is April 28-30 in Las Vegas. They were all invited and participated in the main scouting combine in Indianapolis.
“Durant, when you watched him against elite competition outside of I-AA, there was a little inconsistency there, but he’s a guy that I feel actually could be a third- or fourth-rounder as a third or fourth corner coming in,” ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper said. “There is some talent there to work with. He’s certainly coming out of a program that supplied the NFL with (Colts linebacker) Darius Leonard. For me, Decobie is an interesting guy. Some may think third; some may think fifth.”
Williams is a lanky cornerback at 6-foot-3 and 195 pounds. He has a 6.18 grade from NFL.com, which translates to being a backup who could be developed into a starter.
“Joshua Williams with the length he has, when he fills out, he could be in that third- to fifth-round discussion,” Kiper said. “I think Day 3 more so fourth or fifth (round) is when I think (ESPN draft analyst) Todd (McShay) and I are going to be talking about Decobie Durant and Joshua Williams. I think more in the fourth-, fifth-round area. A little raw. I gave a slight edge to Durant of the two, but I like them both.”
Williams was elated to be at the combine.
“I’ve enjoyed coming through this path,” Williams told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution at the combine. “It hasn’t been easy. But I’m blessed to be in the position to maybe even shed some light on some other players that we have at Fayetteville State. There’s a lot of great talent there. Hopefully, they’ll get that spotlight like I did.”
Williams played with offensive tackle Kion Smith, who signed with the Falcons last season as an undrafted free agent. He was released and signed to Miami’s practice squad.
“A lot of times what separates a Division I player and a Division II player, to be honest, it could be grades, focus or sometimes just lack of recruitment,” Williams said. “There are a lot of really good Division II players. There is not a huge discrepancy as far as the talent. I would say the resources is probably the main difference.”
Smith helped to prepare Williams for the combine and talked to him about his time with the Falcons.
“This journey has been a lot different than a lot of other people here,” Williams said. “There are only, I think, four or five HBCU players here, and it’s a blessing to be representing some of the HBCU schools and putting the spotlight on HBCU football. Showing what we do and showcase our talent.”
Williams, a native of Fayetteville, N.C., was overlooked coming out of high school. He had only one year as a defensive back.
“I ended up doing a prep school year,” Williams said. “I ended up going to Fayetteville State. Coach (Richard) Hayes and the coaching staff, luckily they recruited me and brought me in and refined my talents as a corner.
“I worked hard to get where I am, and a lot of that was taking the coaching that I had and getting with a lot of dedicated coaches. Just soaking up all of the knowledge.”
Smith had some tips for Williams.
“I just asked him how I can be a professional,” Williams said. “Whatever it takes, the commitments and daily things that I need to do to ensure my success. He gives me tips, and I appreciate it.”
Williams said hard work and being able to accept hard coaching were keys to his success.
Bell started his career at Coffeyville (Kan.) Community College.
“Everyone doesn’t make it out of junior college,” Bell told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “It’s tough, but it humbles you. You go from pretty much nothing and then you get a chance to go to a university. You make the most of it.”
Bell is from New Jersey, and Kansas was a culture shock.
“My first night there, I got to the dorms and they were literally smack dab in the middle of nowhere,” Bell said. “Cows, corn and everything was out there. It was an eye-opener. But I’m grateful for it. It taught me a lot. It taught me how to grind and work for it.”
Bell, who is 6-2 and 212 pounds, is a hard-hitting safety. He ran the 40-yard dash in 4.41 seconds at the scouting combine.
“When I was there, they didn’t really have many college scouts coming in,” Bell said. “They just talked about the history of the school and how they used to push out a whole lot of D-I players. That wasn’t what I came into. So, the fact that I made it from nothing, I was grateful.”
Other draftable players from HBCUs include Virginia State cornerback Will Adams, Alabama State running back Ezra Gray, North Carolina A&T running back Jah-Maine Martin, Florida A&M guard Keenan Forbes and Southern wide receiver Marquis McClain.
There’s not a lot of history on the side of Glass because no HBCU quarterback has been picked over the past 16 drafts.
Glass, a St. Louis native, passed for 12,136 yards, 109 touchdowns and 41 interceptions for the Bulldogs.
The last HBCU quarterback drafted was Alabama State’s Tarvaris Jackson, who was picked in the second round of the 2006 draft by the Vikings.
Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC
Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC
2. Matthews on Matt Ryan: Falcons tackle Jake Matthews played the first eight seasons of his career with quarterback Matt Ryan, who was traded over the offseason to the Colts for a third-round draft pick.
“It’s definitely surreal,” Matthews said Tuesday, the start of the offseason program. “Honestly, my entire career here he’s been the guy. As we all know, he’s moved on now. I have nothing but respect for him. He was a hell of a leader.”
Ryan, who holds all of the team’s passing records, is considered on par or ahead of former franchise quarterbacks Steve Bartkowski and Michael Vick in Falcons lore.
Matthews has been the starting left tackle since he was selected sixth overall in the 2014 draft. He was slated to open the season at right tackle, but Sam Baker suffered a career-ending knee injury in an exhibition game in Houston, and Matthews was told at halftime that he’d be moving to left tackle.
He’s been there ever since and has started 128 games.
Matthews, who went to the Pro Bowl as an alternate after the 2018 season, signed a three-year contract extension in March that was worth up to $55.5 million. He’s set to receive $52.5 million in the first three years.
Credit: D. Orlando Ledbetter
3. Jarrett a no-show on Day 1: Falcons defensive tackle Grady Jarrett, who is set to enter the final year of his four-year, $68 million contract, was not present on the first day of the voluntary offseason program Tuesday.
The Falcons have not restructured or extended his contract over the offseason. They extended Matthews and traded Ryan and his contract.
It was not clear if Deion Jones was at the workout. The offense was on the field during the open portion of the workout.
Jarrett has the team’s highest salary-cap number ($23.8 million) for 2022, followed by Jones ($20 million).
“I’m not going to predict,” Falcons coach Arthur Smith said when asked about Jarrett’s contract status earlier this month. “He knows where we stand. We love Grady.”
Jarrett could play out the season and make it to free agency.
“But we also understand that players may have their own opinions, and they’re welcome (to have those). ... That’s part of the NFL and doing business,” Smith said. “We’ll see how it plays out.”
The new administration hasn’t been shy about dealing players.
“I love Grady, and I’d love to keep coaching him,” Smith said.
4. Terrell took notice of Ward’s big payday: Falcons cornerback A.J. Terrell, who is set to enter his third season, is one of the more tenured players on the Falcons’ defense.
“That’s crazy,” Terrell said. “It doesn’t even make sense. That is crazy, though.”
Terrell took note of the lucrative five-year, $100.5 million contract that Browns cornerback Denzel Ward signed Monday.
“Congrats to him for that big deal,” Terrell said. “If I keep playing my part and doing my role, everything will just go hand in hand. Not looking too far ... just doing what I need to do now to get to that point.”
Credit: D. Orlando Ledbetter
5. Falcons’ draft order: Overall, the Falcons have five picks in the top 100:
Round 1: Pick No. 8 overall
Round 2: Pick No. 43 overall
Round 2: Pick No. 58 overall (from the Titans)
Round 3: Pick No. 74 overall
Round 3: Pick No. 82 overall (from the Colts)
Round 4: Pick No. 114 overall
Round 5: Pick No. 151 overall
Round 6: Pick No. 190 overall
Round 6: Pick No. 213 overall (compensatory)
6. Zaccheaus, Taylor signed: Wide receiver Olamide Zaccheaus, who was tendered last month, signed a one-year contract with the Falcons on Tuesday.
Zaccheaus made the team as an undrafted rookie in 2019 and has been a dependable reserve.
Zaccheaus, 24, has played in 38 games and made 10 starts. He has caught 54 of 90 targets for 795 yards and five touchdowns. He also has been a backup kickoff and punt returner.
Also, the Falcons announced the previously reported signing of veteran defensive tackle Vincent Taylor.
7. Draft analysis: Here’s a look at the AJC’s position-by-position draft series:
AJC’S 2022 POSITION-BY-POSITION SERIES
WIDE RECEIVERS – Falcons need to upgrade weapons | Top 10 WRs
RUNNING BACKS – Position has become devalued in draft | Top 10 RBs
TIGHT ENDS – Chigoziem Okonkwo survived heart condition | Top 10 TEs
OFFENSIVE LINE – Ex-UGA lineman Salyer points to wins in SEC trenches | Top 10 OL
QUARTERBACKS – Malik Willis now top QB prospect for NFL draft | Top 10 QBs
DEFENSIVE LINE – Georgia dominates D-line talk ahead of draft | Top 10 DL
LINEBACKERS – Ex-UGA star Dean the latest test of play vs. measurables | Top 10 LBs
CORNERBACKS – Lots of intrigue in 2022 NFL draft’s cornerback class | Top 10 CBs
SAFETIES – Georgia’ Lewis Cine will knock your block off | Top 10 Safeties
SPECIAL TEAMS – Friday, April 22
8. Falcons depth chart: Here’s a look at the current “unofficial” depth chart heading into the draft.
OFFENSE
WR – Cordarrelle Patterson, Olamide Zaccheaus, Frank Darby, KhaDarel Hodge
TE – Kyle Pitts, Ryan Becker, Brayden Lenius
LT – Jake Matthews, Willie Beavers
LG – Jalen Mayfield, Colby Gossett, Rashaad Coward
C – Matt Hennessy or Drew Dalman
RG – Chris Lindstrom, Drew Dalman, Ryan Neuzil
RT – Kaleb McGary, Germain Ifedi, Elijah Wilkinson, Rick Leonard
TE – Anthony Firkser, Parker Hesse, Daniel Helm, John Raine
WR – Auden Tate, Damiere Byrd, Austin Trammell, Chad Hansen
RB – Damien Williams, Mike Davis, Qadree Ollison, Caleb Huntley
FB – Keith Smith
QB – Marcus Mariota, Feleipe Franks
DEFENSE
DE – Grady Jarrett, Marlon Davidson
NT – Vincent Taylor, Anthony Rush, Ta’Quon Graham
DE – Nick Thurman, John Cominsky
OLB – Lorenzo Carter, James Vaughters, Jordan Brailford
ILB – Deion Jones, Dorian Etheridge
ILB – Rashaan Evans, Mykal Walker
OLB – Adetokunbo Ogundeji, Quinton Bell, Rashad Smith
LCB - A.J. Terrell, Darren Hall, Mike Ford, Corey Ballentine, Cornell Armstrong, Lafayette Pitts
FS – Jaylinn Hawkins, Erik Harris
SS – Richie Grant, Teez Tabor, Luther Kirk
RCB – Casey Hayward, Isaiah Oliver, Kendall Sheffield, Avery Williams, Dee Alford
SPECIAL TEAMS
K – Younghoe Koo
P – Dom Maggio
LS – Beau Brinkley
H – Dom Maggio
PR – Avery Williams
KOR – Cordarrelle Patterson, Avery Williams
9. Free-agency tracker: With free agency winding down, here’s what the Falcons have done.
Extension
Jake Matthews, LT – Three years, $55.5 million.
Retained
Younghoe Koo, PK – Five years, $24.25 million ($11.5 guaranteed).
Olamide Zaccheaus, WR – $2.4 million tender.
Erik Harris, FS – One year, $1.2 million. ($1,047,500 guaranteed).
Cordarrelle Patterson, RB, WR – Two years, $10.2 million.
Isaiah Oliver, CB – One year, $2.3 million.
Colby Gossett, G – One year, $965,000.
Anthony Rush, DT – One year, $965,000.
Not retained
Foye Oluokun, LB – Three years, $45 million ($28 million guaranteed) with Jaguars.
Russell Gage, WR – Three years, $30 million with Bucs.
Josh Harris, LS – Four years, $5.6 million ($1.92 million guaranteed) with Chargers.
Hayden Hurst, TE – One year, $3.5 million ($2 million guaranteed) with Bengals.
New players
Marcus Mariota, QB – Two years, $18.7 million ($6.7 guaranteed).
Casey Hayward, CB – Two years, $11 million.
Lorenzo Carter, OLB – One year, $3.5 million ($2 million guaranteed).
Damien Williams, RB – One year, $1.62 million. Included $500,000 signing bonus.
Elijah Wilkinson, OL – One year, $1.03 million.
Teez Tabor, DB – One year, $965,000.
KhaDarel Hodge, WR – One year, $1.03 million.
Rashaan Evans, LB – One year, $1.75 million, with $500,000 guaranteed.
Beau Brinkley, LS – One year, $1.2 million with salary-cap number of $910,000.
Damiere Byrd, WR – One year, $1.2 million with $400,000 guaranteed.
Germain Ifedi, OT/G – One year, $1.2 million with $1,047,500 guaranteed.
Dean Marlowe, S – One year, $1.2 million with a signing bonus of $152,500 and $300,000 guaranteed.
Anthony Firkser, TE – One year, undisclosed.
