MOBILE, Ala. — The Senior Bowl has a little catchy slogan, “The Draft Starts in Mobile.”
That certainly has been the case for the Falcons, who heavily scoured the practices and held interviews with most of the players who are participating in the game Saturday.
The Falcons have used the game to help them set up their draft board in anticipation of the NFL draft, which is set for April 24-26 in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
The Falcons currently hold five picks in the draft, including the 15th overall selection. The team’s contingent was led by assistant general manger Kyle Smith. Also, Tokunbo Abanikanda, who is in his first season as the director of college scouting, was on hand.
“It’s very important; this is one aspect of the process,” said Mike Kafka, the Giants assistant head coach/offensive coordinator. “It’s not everything. It’s one part of it.”
Falcons general manager Terry Fontenot stayed in Flowery Branch. Also, coach Raheem Morris did not attend, while new defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich said he planned to spend the next two weeks evaluating what the Falcons did on defense in 2024.
But that doesn’t diminish the importance of the Senior Bowl.
“The Senior Bowl brings that aspect of that you actually see these guys playing football,” said Kafka, who was head coach of the National team. “It’s unlike the (scouting) combine. It’s unlike even some of the games when you don’t have all of these personnel people there. This is a game where all the personnel are on the field watching guys play and watching them get coached by actual NFL coaches.”
Georgia was represented by five former players and Georgia Tech had one player, tight end Jackson Hawes, participate in the game. Georgia center Jared Wilson pulled out the Saturday before the game, 24 hours before he was to arrive.
Also, there were six players from around the state in the game.
“I know that the one-on-ones are big part of the Senior Bowl,” Browns assistant head coach/special teams Bubby Ventrone said. “That’s been a competitive period. Then we’ve implemented the true compete period at the end of practice that we scripted at the end of practice. You can see the energy that we created with our guys.”
The Falcons are looking for help on defense after the unit collapsed down the stretch of last season, which led to the firing of defensive coordinator Jimmy Lake after one season.
“A big part for me in the evaluation process, it’s invaluable the time that I have with these players,” said Ventrone, head coach of the American team. “I am in every position meeting. I get to see our staff and how they communicate and install.”
Former Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe was one of the high-profile players trying to impress NFL teams.
“We call him the ‘Meal Ticket,’ that’s his nickname,” Ventrone said. “He’s been great. His command was good. He has great running ability, and he’s showcasing that he can throw it as well.”
Last season, the Falcons starting their heavy scouting of quarterback Michael Penix Jr. at the Senior Bowl. They surprised some in the NFL when they drafted him with the eight overall pick.
In 2024, three of the Falcons’ eight draft picks played in the Senior Bowl. In addition to Penix, defensive tackle Brandon Dorlus, and linebacker JD Bertrand played in the Senior Bowl.
In 2023, the Falcons two of six drafts picks played in the game. Guard Matthew Bergeron and safety DeMarcco Hellams are Senior Bowl alums.
In 2021 and 2022, the Falcons had five draft picks from the Senior Bowl. The Falcons had nine picks in 2021 and eight in 2022.
Fontenot was hired in January 2021, just in time for the Senior Bowl. Under his direction, the Falcons have a total 15 of 31 (48.3%) draft picks have played in the Senior Bowl.
Penix was the first player the Falcons took in the first round who played in the game.
Five of the players selected were taken in the second round.
The Falcons have made three of those Senior Bowl picks in the fifth and fourth rounds. They have made two in the third and sixth and one in the seventh.
“So right now, we’re focused on the roster,” Fontenot said recently. “We’re having all our discussions, but we’re focused on the roster.”
The front office planned to look at every player on the roster of the team that finished 8-9 in the 2024 season and went 2-6 down the stretch.
“That’s really the start of, OK, these are the areas, these are the plans for each specific player, but then also these are the specific needs at every position,” Fontenot said. “That’s the start of it.”
Free agency comes before the draft, and the Falcons will have to rearrange several contracts to get underneath the salary cap and to free money to pursue veteran help. They currently are projected to be $7.9 million over the cap.
How they work free agency will then determine what players they will pursue in the draft.
“So now, as we get into free agency and get into the draft, this is the first step in determining specifically what those needs are and where those areas that we need to focus (on), Fontenot said. “So, it’s all internal right now, and we’ll continue the rest of the offseason.”
The biggest offseason decision will be what the Falcons will do with quarterback Kirk Cousins, who lost his job after the team signed him to a four-year contract worth up to $180 million, with $100 million guaranteed.
“That’s the Terry neighborhood,” Morris said. “We’ll get together and have those discussions. We’ll be able to put those things in alignment, how we’ve got to have it.”
Part of the salary-cap maneuvering will focus on how much dead space the Falcons may have to take on.
“It’s the cost of doing business, how you go about your process,” Morris said. “All the things that I’ll definitely have high discussion with Terry about.”
That’s probably why Fontenot did not attend the Senior Bowl, because free agency and salary-cap massaging are more of a priority this offseason after the Cousins deal went sideways.
A look at the Falcons' Senior Bowl alums under Terry Fontenot
3 of 8 in 2024:
-Michael Penix Jr., quarterback (Round 1)
-Brandon Dorlus, defensive tackle (Round 4)
-JD Bertrand, inside linebacker (Round 5)
3 of 6 in 2023
-Matthew Bergeron, offensive lineman (Round 2)
-Zach Harrison, defensive lineman (Round 3)
-DeMarcco Hellams, safety (Round 7)
5 of 8 in 2022
-Arnold Ebiketie, outside linebacker (Round 2)
-Troy Andersen, linebacker (Round 2)
-Desmond Ridder, quarterback (Round 3
-DeAngelo Malone, outside linebacker (Round 3)
-Justin Shaffer, offensive lineman (Round 6)
5 of 9 in 2021
-Richie Grant, safety (Round 2)
-Darren Hall, cornerback (Round 4)
-Ta’Quon Graham, defensive lineman (Round 5)
-Adetokunbo Ogundeji, defensive lineman (Round 5)
-Frank Darby, wide receiver (Round 6)
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
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