Falcons strong safety Kemal Ishmael, a seventh-round draft pick in 2013, is set to make his first NFL start, against Eli Manning and the New York Giants.
As he attempts to replace William Moore on the much-maligned defense, he will be the X-Factor in the game.
“He had an opportunity to play on special teams last season,” Falcons coach Mike Smith said. “He did a great job in the offseason. He worked on his body. He’s leaner. He’s a little lighter. His body fat is way down. He’s done some good things.”
Over the offseason, the Falcons looked for a couple of players to step forward at safety after they released free safety Thomas DeCoud and were uncertain about the return of Zeke Motta from a neck injury.
They tried to stack the position by signing Dwight Lowery as a free agent, drafting Dezmen Southward in the third round and signing safety Rafael Bush to an offer sheet.
Motta didn’t make it back and was put on the physically unable to perform list to start the season. The Saints matched the offer to Bush. Ishmael was able to move ahead of Southward, who was injured during stretches of training camp.
Now with Moore out for at least eight weeks, Ishmael is the next man up.
Nolan had started to incorporate Ishmael in the defense. He was playing in some dime packages with six defensive backs. He returned an interception 23 yards for a touchdown in the 56-14 rout of Tampa Bay on Sept. 18.
“He has really improved from a year ago,” Nolan said.
Ishmael, who played only three snaps from scrimmage last season, finished the Minnesota game after Moore went down. He played 66 of the 76 snaps (87 percent) against the Vikings. He finished with seven tackles and was rated strong against the run, but weak in coverage by Pro Football Focus.
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