Falcons second-round draft pick Marlon Davidson has a knee strain and will miss his second practice in a row on Saturday, coach Dan Quinn said.
“Player wise, we’ll limit a few today, (center Alex) Mack and (running back Todd) Gurley again, just from a work-load spot,” Quinn said. “They’ll be back at it tomorrow. We’ll also hold Marlon Davidson. He had a knee strain, we’ll hold him for a few days, but it’s nothing that’s going to set him back long term.”
Davidson, who played at Auburn, is projected to be an integral part of the Falcons’ rotation on the defensive line in 2020.
Falcons coach Dan Quinn has been impressed with what he calls Davidson’s “hunger index.”
MARLON DAVIDSON’S DRAFT BIO
Second round (47th overall) -- Marlon Davidson, DT, Auburn
Height: 6-foot-3. Weight: 303 pounds. Arm Length: 33 inches. Hand size: 10 inches. 40-yard dash: 5.04 seconds. Bench press: 41 reps of 225 pounds.
Overview: Davidson, 22, is from Greenville, Ala. He was very disruptive for the Tigers playing alongside Derrick Brown, who was selected seventh by the Panthers in the first round of the draft. Davidson was a second-team All-American selection. Davidson is the ninth player the Falcons have selected from Auburn in franchise history and the first since 2007 (David Irons). Davidson is good while attacking and does not get fooled by misdirection. He blocked nine passes over his career. He started 51 games in college. He has to work on staying lower. He sat out one game last season because of lower-back tightness. He was a four-year starter for the Tigers. He had decent seasons until his senior campaign when he led the team with 12.5 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks. He had a 6.35 grade from NFL.com, which projects that he will be a starter within the first two years in the league. “The team who drafts him will need to determine how best to utilize him because despite his build, he’s most effective when playing outside the tackle,” according to NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein. “He’s athletic enough to work as a base 4-3 end with sub-rush talent, but getting over the hump from good backup to starter might take time.” The Draft Network’s Jordan Reid on Davidson: “Marlon Davidson is a tough and sturdy interior defender who has lots of positional versatility. Pairing him alongside Grady Jarrett gives the Falcons an explosive duo inside.”
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