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Two Surprising Falcons Players Named as Team's Breakout Candidates
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- Two Surprising Falcons Players Named as Team's Breakout Candidates
(IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)
The Atlanta Falcons are just over a week away from getting onto the practice field for the start of training camp and fans getting their first look at what the team is going to look like this year.
Much of the discourse has been and will continue to be on the quarterback battle, but there are a ton of names fans are going to be watching very closely as they try to turn the luck of the franchise around. NFL success is much more than just one position, and the team as a whole is going to have to take its game to the next level regardless of who the quarterback is.
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When it comes to guys capable of doing just that, there's a number of them who come to mind. In a recent article though, Daniel Flick of the Atlanta Journal Constitution named several candidates and two of them raised eyebrows.
Falcons Breakout Candidates Include Jalon Walker and Jahan Dotson
Walker coming off his rookie season which was a little bit overshadowed by a couple of his teammates having such huge years, but he was the definition of solid coming off the edge. Now, he is going to be asked to do a whole lot more and according to the coaching staff, may have to step into the Kaden Elliss do-it-all type role.
Based on everything they have said about him, he seems up for the challenge. How he translates from year one into year two will be a huge part of what this defense can do.
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As for new wide receiver Jahan Dotson, Flick acknowledged that he is an unconventional breakout pick given the fact that he is already an established veteran in the league. The former first round selection however has far from lived up to the hype coming out of the 2022 NFL Draft. While he had two decent years with the Washington Commanders to start his career, his role diminished on the Philadelphia Eagles .
Now, Atlanta is going to ask him to do more than he has done since leaving Washington and stepping back into a starting role where he will be needed and counted on to make plays.
Whether or not Dotson is up for the task remains to be seen, but ultimately, it could go a long way towards determining what the ceiling of this offense is in 2026. Drake London , Kyle Pitts and Bijan Robinson are all obviously huge pieces of the passing game, but the wide receiver options behind London are questionable at best.
The Falcons need someone to emerge, and a Dotson breakout would do just that.
