Before the 2016 NFL draft, Falcons owner Arthur Blank said he expected his football people to get “at least” three starters out of the team’s five picks. Coach Dan Quinn and general manager Thomas Dimitroff met that goal by drafting three rookie starters who helped the team reach the Super Bowl.
The Falcons went into this year’s draft believing they could again find some major contributors among the college prospects. They’ll get their first chance to evaluate their draft picks and first-year free agents together when the team holds its rookie minicamp this weekend at team headquarters in Flowery Branch.
“We believe we can get some starters out of this draft class as well,” Dimitroff said. “Last year we felt strongly about that. We continue to believe that there are players who can come in here and contribute right away and that’s important.”
The Falcons have agreed to contract terms with all six of the players they selected in the draft. Five of those players, plus 22 rookie free agents, are expected to participate in minicamp practices Friday and Saturday. First-round pick Takk McKinley is recovering from shoulder surgery.
Here are five things to watch:
Will the rookies buy in to the “Brotherhood?”
Throughout their run to the Super Bowl, the Falcons emphasized the importance of a team bond that Quinn called the “Brotherhood.” Quinn and his players said that sense of togetherness was a major factor in the Falcons creating a winning culture in which they depended on one another.
Quinn and Dimitroff said they paid close attention to intangible qualities when they drafted and signed college players.
“Given Dan Quinn’s system and the ‘Brotherhood,’ it’s very, very important for us that we are getting the right kind of team-concept players and we’re confident that we’ve figured that out,” Dimitroff said.
Where does Damontae Kazee fit?
The Falcons selected Kazee in the fifth round of the draft and said he would play nickel back and safety. That mean he will get the chance to compete with Brian Poole (the nickel back in 2016) and Kemal Ishmael (the backup free safety last season).
Kazee played cornerback at San Diego State, where he was named the Mountain West defensive player of the year in 2015 and 2016. His 40-yard time of 4.54 seconds at the scouting combine was mediocre for his position. But Kazee’s awareness and ball skills (15 interceptions and 15 pass breakups over his final two collegiate seasons) could make him a good fit as a slot cornerback or safety in Quinn’s defense.
Which rookie free agents will stand out?
Poole was the big success story among the rookie free agents to sign with the Falcons in 2016. He ended up getting his chance when cornerback Jalen Collins, a second-round draft pick in 2015, fell out of favor.
Quinn has proved to be a coach who will give a rookie a real opportunity if he likes his system fit and attitude even if the player’s physical attributes aren’t ideal.
“I am a believer in the college free agency system,” Quinn said. “For years, I’ve just felt like, for whatever reason, there is a guy who gets through (the cracks) and he can make a team. That gives you some hope.”
Can Sean Harlow make a run at right guard?
Right guard is the only offensive position that is uncertain for the Falcons heading into the summer. Chris Chester retired in March and the situation gained more urgency when free-agent addition Hugh Thornton, a three-year starter for the Colts, abruptly retired this week.
That leaves the Falcons without a veteran option at right guard. Harlow, a fourth-round draft pick, is making the move to guard for the Falcons after he played tackle at Oregon State. He’ll compete with holdovers Wes Schweitzer (no NFL snaps) and Ben Garland (89 NFL snaps over three seasons).
Harlow has an NFL pedigree. His father, Pat, played eight seasons in the NFL from 1991-98 after starring at USC.
Can Eric Saubert leap from small-school star to NFL player?
Saubert should be one of the more intriguing rookies at minicamp. The Falcons selected him in the fifth round because of his size and speed combination. But Saubert is a raw prospect who played in a spread offense at Drake, which plays in the FCS’s Pioneer League
Saubert certainly looks the part of an NFL tight end, at 6-foot-5 and 253 pounds. He’s strong too: His 22 reps in the bench press at the combine tied for third-most among tight ends. But Saubert struggled with dropped passes at Drake and didn’t show much as a blocker.
The Falcons return their top two tight ends from 2016, Austin Hooper and Levine Toilolo. No. 3 tight end Jacob Tamme is a free agent.
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