One of the key battles of training camp was at punt returner.
The Falcons picked rookie cornerback Avery Williams over wide receiver Chris Rowland.
“Avery did his part,” special teams coordinator Marquice Williams said. “There were a lot of variables whether if it comes to decision making, the calmness and poise as a returner. You can have those abilities to break tackles and speed, elusiveness, but the main thing is getting the ball in your hands and making the right decisions. When to fair catch and not to fair catch. When to get away from the football. When not to catch it. A lot of those things came into play.”
Williams was drafted in the fifth round (183rd) overall out of Boise State. The former walk-on returned six punts and three kickoffs for touchdowns in college.
He was voted the Mountain West special-teams player of the year in 2019.
“His overall football IQ and his knowledge of the game,” Williams said. “I love the mindset that he has, too.”
Cordarrelle Patterson, a four-time Pro Bowler, is expected to be the kickoff returner, but if he needs a break Williams can return kickoffs, also.
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