FLOWERY BRANCH – The Falcons signed four of the eight rookies from the draft class to four-year deals Friday, the team announced.
Linebacker JD Bertrand, running back Jase McClellan, wide receiver Casey Washington and defensive tackle Zion Logue signed their contracts.
Quarterback Michael Penix Jr., defensive tackle Ruke Orhorhoro, linebacker Bralen Trice and defensive end Brando Porlus remained unsigned.
Here are the draft bios of the signed players.
Fifth round (143rd overall ) – J.D. Bertrand
Age: 23. Ht: 6-1. Wt: 233. Arms: 30 5/8. Hands: 9 3/4. Bench press: lifted 225 pounds 20 times. Hometown: Roswell. Overview: He led Notre Dame with 76 tackles last season and was finalist for the Wuerffel Trophy, which goes to community-service workers. He also won the William V. Campbell Trophy, which is known as the Academic Heisman. He started all 12 games, had 7.5 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks. After de-committing from Georgia, he went on to play for the Notre Dame from 2020 to 2023. He was a tackling machine, as he finished his career with 267 tackles, 22.5 tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks, nine passes defensed and two forced fumbles. He was a three-year starter and two-time captain.
Sixth round (186th overall ) – Jase McClellan
Age: 21. Ht.: 5-10 3/8. Wt.: 221. Arms: 31 1/8. Hands: 10 1/4. Bench press: Lifted 225 pounds, 20 times. Hometown: Aledo, Texas. Overview: He played in 43 tames at Alabama from 2020-23. He rushed 355 times for 1981 yards (5.6 yards per carry) and scored 18 touchdowns. He also was a threat out of the backfield and caught 40 passes for 409 yards (10.2 yards per catch) and scored six touchdowns. “McClellan lacks explosiveness, but gets it done with above-average vision and know-how,” according to Lance Zierlein of NFL.com. “He’s quick to process his lane choice and smooth getting from cut to cut. He has good-not-great burst and appears to be better suited for gap and inside-zone runs.”
Sixth round (187th overall ) – Casey Washington
Age: 23. Ht.: 6-0. Wt.: 201. Arms: 33 7/8. Hands: 10 1/2. Vertical: 39.5. 10-yard split: 1.57 40-yard dash: 4.46. (His 40 and jumps are in 80 or 90-plus percentile among wide receivers). Hometown: Round Rock, Texas. Overview: He played in 55 games over his career. He caught 122 passes for 1,508 yards (12.4 per catch) and four touchdowns. He played in the East-West Shrine Bowl. He was an Academic All-Big Ten selection. He ranked ninth in the Big Ten in receptions (49) during the regular season.
Sixth round (197th overall ) – Zion Logue
Age: 24. Ht: 6-6. Wt: 314. Arms: 33 1/2. Hands: 10. 40-yard dash: 5.14. 10-yard split: 1.82. Vertical: 29 inches. Broad jump: 9 feet, 1 inch. 20-yard shuttle: 4.92. Hometown: Lebanon, Tennessee. Overview: He played in every game last season and made 10 starts along the defensive line. He had 17 tackles with 2.5 for loss, including half of a sack. He also had three pass breakups. In 2022, he played in 14 of 15 games and made six starts. “He rarely reads early block movement and finds himself on the wrong side of move blocks a disappointingly high number of times, despite decent initial quickness,” according NFL analyst Lance Zierlein of NFL.com. “Logue just doesn’t have a go-to skill set that allows him to stand out.”
About the Author
