For 2022 and 2023, the team mainly operated with a bunch of WRs on one-year contracts, replacing most of them each season. Players like Christian Blake and Tajae Sharpe from the 2021 group were replaced by the likes of Bryan Edwards and Damiere Byrd for 2022, then Mack Hollins and Scotty Miller for 2023. Of course, having Kyle Pitts from the 2021 draft and Drake London from 2022 helped offset the losses of Calvin Ridley (walked away in 2021, suspended in 2022) and Russell Gage (free agency). Cordarrelle Patterson added over 500 receiving yards to the group in 2021 as well. Other than London, the only WR drafted during the Arthur Smith years was Frank Darby, the team's final selection in 2021. He didn't crack the roster beyond his rookie season, and the team released him a week after firing Coach Smith. So with Darby gone and all the one-year contracts expiring yet again, GM Terry Fontenot had another mostly blank canvas to work with in building the WR group this year. The coaching staff is the other HUGE change. No one ran more 2- and 3-TE sets than Arthur Smith did in Atlanta. Meanwhile, it's hard to top the Rams for snaps out of 3-WR personnel. New OC Zac Robinson comes to us from the McVay coaching tree in L.A. I do expect TE Kyle Pitts to line up frequently at WR. At first, fans and media were a bit down on what seemed to be lackluster performance in 2023 as he came back from his 2022 MCL injury. And then late in the 2023 season, it came out that his knee surgery was PCL+MCL, not just MCL. And with that, the tone changed considerably... 53 receptions for 667 yards coming back from a PCL?? That's actually pretty impressive. So if he's back to true form in 2024, he's a 6-6 towering tree to line up across from London on the outside with Mooney or Moore in the slot. Or go 11-package with Pitts at TE, Robinson in the backfield, and London, Mooney and Moore as the three receivers. Yeah, that works... Here's how the team stands at WR following the draft and UDFA signings: Drake London - the clear #1 enters the third year of his rookie contract. The alleged knock on him before his draft was that he isn't fast enough. He didn't run the 40 in the Combine or pro day because of an ankle injury. But game file showed he wasn't slow - and now we've seen that in person. He's 6'4" with a 78" wingspan and is great at coming down with the contested catch. Darnell Mooney - this top free agent WR signing raised some eyebrows. Do the Falcons really think he's all that and a bag of chips? Well, Kirk Cousins does. Cousins wanted Mooney and called him to recruit him to join the team. New OC Zac Robinson comes over from the Rams, where the offense runs 90%+ of offensive snaps out of 3-WR sets. At 5-10 (and with a 37" vertical), Mooney can play outside if needed. But with his 4.38 speed, he's likely to be the top choice for the slot. Rondale Moore - if Mooney plays outside, Moore is an easy choice to put in the slot. Like Mooney, a change of scenery should really help Moore. He started his career with Arizona, where backup QBs started 15 of 34 games over the last two seasons. He's the prototype small slot receiver - 5'7" but with a 42" vertical, and 4.3 speed. KhaDarel Hodge - the special teams ace returns for his third consecutive 1-year deal. I also think he will be a player to watch in camp and preseason, as he had tremendous production from his limited snaps on offense over the last two years. He's never had a QB along the lines of Cousins or Penix. He's another larger guy for the outsides (6-2, 208) and is a steady route runner with reliable hands. I'm expecting him to turn it on in camp and become a favorite of his new QBs. Ray-Ray McCloud - the former Clemson WR and Bills draft pick comes over to Atlanta after two years in San Francisco. My guess is the team actually signed him for punt return duties and that his role on offense will be limited. But he's a veteran presence in the group, with 39 receptions for Pittsburgh the year before going to the 49ers. Casey Washington - 2021 sixth rounder Frank Darby didn't pan out. Atlanta is hoping for better this time around with Washington. He's physical on contested catches and especially good on fade routes. He lists at 6-0 but still runs under 4.5. He'll join Hodge in rotation as depth on the outsides. Josh Ali - 2022 undrafted practice squad prospect made the team in 2023 but got hurt and missed the season. It's a whole new team for 2024. Can he come on strong in camp again? His production from his final college season at Kentucky is impressive... against SEC competition, his 58 targets resulted in 41 receptions (!) for a 14.66 average. Bear in mind he made the team with Ridder as his projected starting QB. He'll likely be working mostly with Penix in preseason, which should suit him fine. It's way too soon to write him off. Chris Blair - undrafted player from Alcorn State in 2020 who has continued to fight his way towards the NFL. After a couple of tryouts in 2020, Green Bay signed him to a futures contract for 2021, and he ended up making the practice squad that season. The Packers released him after minicamp in 2022, and after going unsigned he played in the XFL for 2023 - then landed with Atlanta's practice squad. He did well enough to get himself resigned for 2024. He never had a pro day (COVID shutdowns had kicked in), but a private workout reportedly had him in the upper 4.4s with a 40.5" vertical, making him an interesting size/speed mix at 6-2, 206. Austin Mack - Giants UDFA and practice squad player from 2020 has had a rough go with injuries and has bounced around the league. Coming out of college (Ohio State), he was considered a good route runner with good size but not especially athletic and was overshadowed by more talented teammates. He's a longshot, but his film showed enough for the new Atlanta coaching staff to sign him to a futures contract. Isaiah Wooden - you want a speedy little slot guy? We've got the UDFA rookie for you... Wooden lists at 5-7, 176. The Southern Utah receiver didn't do so hot on the shuttle drill, so that whole RAS thing kinda throws him under the bus. But... 4.38 in the 40 with a 1.38 10-yard split, and a 44.5" vertical offsets most issues from his lack of height. Look at his highlights and you'll see a guy who fights for extra yards after the catch and isn't afraid of contact. JaQuae Jackson - UDFA rookie from Rutgers. If you consider him a likely practice squad project, there's a lot to like. The drawback is that most of his college experience was at the D-II level before he transferred to Rutgers for his final season. He's a pretty good size / speed mix, at 6-2 with a 6.58 cone drill and under 4.5 on one of his two 40 runs. He has also drawn praise for his route running. I don't expect to see him in the mix for 2024, but I'll be watching for him to challenge for a roster spot in 2025.
