The three former Georgia Tech players at the Falcons rookie minicamp made good impressions with the coaching staff.
Former quarterback TaQuon Marshall worked out with the wide receivers. Defensive tackle Desmond Branch also played some defensive end and Jalen Johnson played some safety.
“This is a real competitor,” Falcons coach Dan Quinn said of Marshall. “I said you should have (to have) an impact on (special) teams. I said it’s happened time and time again that (a player who) doesn’t have a lot of special-teams experience, but it’s going to be straight dog competitor that will find a way.
“I sense that he has some of that makeup in him. We don’t know the roles yet and he hasn’t played (wide receiver). He’ll screw it up some outside at receiver. But, all that said, you like his makeup.”
Branch was a durable, high-motor defensive lineman for Tech for the past three seasons after transferring from a Texas junior college. He started the past two, compiling 36 tackles in 2018. He worked out for the Falcons on April 5 at the team's local pro day.
“I just had a good visit with Branch,” Quinn said. “I thought he showed a lot of versatility. In this camp, we played him at both defensive end and defensive tackle. He was one of the players that I was referring to stay in shape. There is a spot for you somewhere. He really had a good camp.
“He was one of those players that you could tell had a good football background for (former Tech coach) Paul (Johnson), (former Tech defensive coordinator) Ted Roof and the guys and from his brother (former NFL defensive lineman Alan Branch) coming up. You could tell that football side, he was really in tune with.”
Johnson was a safety and a linebacker in college.
“We got a good look,” Quinn said. “For us, we are always looking at that spot. The length, the size. He also made a good impression this week.”
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