The Atlanta Falcons have benefitted from many breakout players over the past few seasons. Two names that first come to mind are A.J. Terrell and Chris Lindstrom. Both players had a rough start to their careers but they quickly turned the corner and made themselves cornerstone players.
This needs to happen with a few other players this season if the Falcons want to take advantage of their talented roster. There is reason for hope since these three players will hit their potential during the upcoming season.
1. Darnell Mooney, WR
Starting off with the second-biggest free agent signing by the Falcons this offseason. Darnell Mooney has had just one good season in the NFL due to being in some awful situations with Chicago.
Finally, Mooney will have an accurate quarterback and an offensive coordinator who will prioritize getting him the ball. He is a big-play threat that can get open with speed and finesse.
If Mooney can go over 800 yards and score six touchdowns then he will have turned the proverbial corner.
2. Arnold Ebiketie, OLB
When talent meets opportunity, special things can happen. Arnold Ebiketie has had limited usage for a former second-round pick during his career but now the Falcons will need him more than ever and he has shown some elite flashes.
Getting to the quarterback will be the main priority for the former Penn State pass rusher. Line up on the edge and go get the quarterback, it needs to be that simple.
He will be used in coverage occasionally, just like he was last year, but his talents lie in his ability to track down a quarterback. He is one of the NFL’s biggest sleepers to reach double-digit sacks next season.
3. Troy Andersen, LB
If Troy Andersen can stay healthy nothing is holding him back from being a dynamic sideline-to-sideline linebacker.
The talent is there and we started to see him put it all together in the limited snaps he played last year before his season-ending injury. He is a Swiss army knife for Raheem Morris and Jimmy Lake.
We haven’t seen the capabilities of Andersen quite yet. His skillset gives him the potential to be one of the NFL’s best.
If Andersen can stay healthy, improve his tackling, and continue to trust his instincts then we will see him ‘turn the corner’ in his third season in the NFL. It is easy to forget that he had to make the jump from the FCS to the NFL so he is a player the Falcons knew they would have to be patient with.
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