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The Atlanta Falcons retained all nine draft picks and one undrafted free agent on the 53-man roster. Almost 20% of the team are first-year players. Six of those ten players are defenders.
New defensive coordinator Dean Pees will count on several of these players, including defenseman Richie Grant, to give the Falcons some depth in Sunday’s season opener against the Philadelphia Eagles.
READ MORE: Updated Eagles vs Falcons depth map
Pees was realistic about what to expect from defensive rookies on Sunday.
“I just put them all together,” Pees said. “I’m not going to talk about any of them individually. I think as a group of rookies, whether they were drafted or not and made the squad, that speaks for itself. Even if they are a player on the practice squad, it meant you saw a lot in them or you felt there was a lot of potential in them. ”
Pees was quick to remind everyone of where they were in their careers and to expect to take the good with the bad.
“They all played like rookies,” said Pees. “They all had good days; they all had average days. So did the vets. I think it’s a good class of rookies; I’m really happy with the rookie class. I’m happy with the rookies we have. have. I don’t think there’s anyone out there who isn’t capable of being an NFL football player. ”
“Rookies are rookies. It’s a lot different. There’s a lot going on. Even though some of these guys have played in big games, it’s different in the NFL in games. The speed of the game, everything. it changes. ”
Pees explains that the preseason isn’t always the best way for outsiders to judge what they see on the pitch.
“You get a little big of it in the preseason,” Pees said, “but most of the time what happens is it’s really saves playing against saves. Now if a save comes in. in a game he’s not playing against a save, ”Pees said with a smile. “So it can be a lot faster and a little faster, and the only way to find out is until it happens.”
“You can speculate, everyone is doing it. Nobody knows. Everyone seems to have an answer as to how this guy is going to be and this guy is going to be. You have no idea how they are going to be until what they play. ”
Of the ten freshmen, six of them are in defense. Not all will see the action against Philadelphia on Sunday, but Atlanta needs several of them, including Grant, to step up and play big roles this year.
Atlanta Falcons defensive rookies, 53-man squad
# 27 Richie Grant, S, 2nd round, UCF
# 34 Darren Hall, CB, 4th round, San Diego State
# 95 Ta’Quon Graham, DL, 5th round, Texas
# 92 Adetokunbo Ogundeji, DL, 5th tower Notre-Dame
# 35 Avery Williams, DC, 5th round, Boise State
# 48 Dorian Etheridge, LB, UDFA, Louisville
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