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Wisconsin Badgers 7th-round pick practices with starters at Falcons training camp

Former Wisconsin Badgers offensive tackle Jack Nelson is getting a chance to show the Atlanta Falcons coaching staff he deserves a bigger role as a rookie seventh-round pick.
Lorin Cox|
Penn State defensive end Amin Vanover (15) is blocked by Wisconsin offensive lineman Jack Nelson (79) during the first quarter of their game Saturday, October 26, 2024 at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wisconsin.
Penn State defensive end Amin Vanover (15) is blocked by Wisconsin offensive lineman Jack Nelson (79) during the first quarter of their game Saturday, October 26, 2024 at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wisconsin. | Mark Hoffman/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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Jack Nelson is quickly earning the trust of the Atlanta Falcons coaching staff.

The Wisconsin Badgers' rookie seventh-round pick is earning more opportunities at training camp as he competes for his spot on the 53-man roster.

On Tuesday, he took reps with the first team at practice while the starters got a rest day.

Nelson isn't in position to unseat either of the Falcons' starting tackles, but he's trying to push veteran lineman Storm Norton for the swing tackle role.

Norton has held down that role for the last two seasons in Atlanta, so Nelson continues to face an uphill battle.

But the more opportunities he gets to play with the starters, the more he can show the coaching staff he's ready for a bigger role even as a rookie.

He was a three-year starter for the Badgers, mostly at left tackle, and he has more than enough size and strength to hold up in the NFL.

His most likely path as a rookie will be the practice squad, but he could have a future on the Falcons offensive line, where the three offensive tackles ahead of him on the depth chart are all over the age of 30.

With the right development, he could have the chance to take over one of those roles down the line. Starting right tackle Kaleb McGary is currently in the last year of his contract and set to hit free agency next offseason.

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Lorin Cox
LORIN COX

Lorin Cox is the managing editor of Wisconsin Badgers on SI. He has been covering Badgers sports since 2014, when he was an undergraduate at the University of Wisconsin. He previously wrote for the Wisconsin State Journal, NBC Sports Chicago and USA Today Sports Media Group, and he is a former analyst for Pro Football Focus.

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