Drafted rookies grab all of the headlines, but every year, many undrafted free agents turn into impact players and household names. Last year, the Falcons did not have an undrafted free agent make the roster, but this year’s class features several guys that had tons of success at the collegiate level.
It’s probably a safe bet at least one of them makes the final 53-man roster, and it’s very possible multiple do enough leading up to the season to convince the Falcons to stick around.
Over at The Athletic, Nick Baumgardner recently highlighted one undrafted free agent to watch from each team, with San Jose State’s Nick Nash receiving the honor for the Falcons.
“Nash (6-3, 203) moved from QB to receiver in 2022 and was a near-immediate success, putting up more than 150 catches and 2,000 yards with 24 TDs over his final two seasons (including 18 contested catches in 2024),” Baumgardner writes. “The Falcons also brought in explosive Miami DT Simeon Barrow Jr. and ultra-competitive Kansas CB Cobee Bryant.”
Nick Nash was an absolute problem at San Jose State, winning the triple crown in 2024 as he led all of college football in receptions (104), yards (1,382), and touchdowns. He put on some size later in his career, which really helped him become a force in contested catch situations. His speed leaves a little to be desired, but his potential to grow as a receiver is very intriguing, considering he began his collegiate career as a quarterback.
Given the Falcons wide receiver room, Nick Nash will have every opportunity to earn a roster spot during the preseason. After Drake London and Darnell Mooney, there isn’t a third wide receiver that’s really separated himself.
Nick Baumgardner also mentioned cornerback Cobee Bryant, who is my personal favorited undrafted free agent of the bunch. Bryant had 13 career interceptions at Kansas and thrives in zone coverage. He’s definitely a little undersized at 6-foot, 180 pounds, but he makes up for it with an ultra-competitive style of play. The Falcons need more quality corners, and Bryant could turn out to be a solid depth piece at the very least.
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