'Best Coaching Instruction I've Had!' Inside Falcons' Ryan Nielsen's Fast Start
Atlanta Falcons defensive tackle Grady Jarrett has two Pro Bowl selections and an All-Pro nod to his name; he's the second longest-tenured player on the team, trailing only left tackle Jake Matthews, and is one of the locker room's most respected leaders.
But during this specific OTA session in May, Jarrett's being challenged - not by other players, but new defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen, hired this January after six years with the New Orleans Saints.
Fresh after completing a rep at traditional OTA speed, Jarrett feels pressure on the side of his face and glances over to see Nielsen, a former defensive tackle and defensive line coach who remains heavily involved in Atlanta's trench play.
Really, it'd be fair for Nielsen to glide through - it's OTAs, which are voluntary, and he's still installing his system, which creates for slow times. But that's not who Nielsen is; instead, he's the exact opposite, as Jarrett found out shortly after making eye contact with him following that specific rep.
"He'll be like 'where your eyes at?'," Jarrett said. "Like, he's looking at me at the side of my face like, 'fix it!'"
Falcons coach Arthur Smith has long stressed creating habits en route to building an identity, and Nielsen embodies that - no matter who's asked about him, the same words often come up: intense, competitive and energetic.
In a sense, Nielsen's a well-liked player's coach who positively impacts those around him, but he goes about it in a hard-nosed, tough-love manner that earns respect from those around him.
Consider this offseason, when defensive tackle David Onyemata and linebacker Kaden Elliss signed with Atlanta after spending the last several years in New Orleans, citing their relationship with Nielsen as a key reason behind the decision.
Said Elliss: "Knowing that I was going to get to go with coach Nielsen and knowing how he coaches defense, how he has coached me personally, also, these last four years was a huge factor."
Added Onyemata: "Getting the chance to learn from such a great coach and person helps in the long term. It helps in the long term of a person's career, and it just helps your game way better."
Nielsen didn't waste any time setting the tone for his defense - literally.
On Atlanta's first day of OTAs - the first time both rookies and veterans came together and were involved in any sort of structured sessions - Nielsen walked onto the Falcons' practice field in Flowery Branch with one key takeaway.
"He made a note that defense was prepared for warmups before the offense was, so we were already beating the offense," cornerback Jeff Okudah said.
This isn't just a balancing act or a short-lived fad; Okudah said that competition is a way of life for Nielsen, something he embodies each day that's made a notable impression on Atlanta's new defensive back.
Better yet, Nielsen's energy is "super contagious," per Okudah, and his presence each day as a competitive, intense individual has spread throughout the defense, just as top-down leadership should.
"I can see that everything he does is going to be a competition," Okudah said. "And I think when you have that kind of mindset, it bleeds down to the rest of the defense to where it's like everything is a competition and you need to win those challenges."
And really, this is what OTAs are all about - presenting an opportunity to establish an identity and generate positive momentum towards training camp and the season thereafter.
It's particularly important for the new-look Falcons defense, with Nielsen overseeing a unit that could be replacing nearly half of its starters from a year ago.
Smith, never a fan of comparisons, opted not to go in depth when dissecting last year's defense vs. this year's, but stressed that the "plan" was always to attack and add to certain defensive positions this offseason.
And evidently, Smith felt Nielsen was the right man to help lead that group, knowing it would look much different than it did at the time.
The early returns have been encouraging, with Smith praising Nielsen and the staff that's been assembled around him, including assistant head coach/defense Jerry Gray, senior assistant Dave Huxtable, defensive line coach Lanier Goethie and quality control coach Mike Gray, who Smith called a "fantastic young coach."
From Nielsen and beyond, Smith feels Atlanta's staff has the right environment for problem solving and consistent evolution in terms of philosophical teaching progressions and developments.
Smith rebuilt his coaching staff on the defensive side of the ball this spring, keeping only inside linebackers coach Frank Bush, and believes the new additions have only strengthened the foundation and culture that was built over the past two years - starting with Nielsen.
"Ryan's a phenomenal football coach," Smith said. "Been very pleased so far - the defensive staff's doing a terrific job."
For Jarrett, conversations and descriptive words about Nielsen mirror the on-field, face-to-face interactions the two have shared - all in a positive light.
"Super, super intense guy, super detailed, and d-line driven, so I can't complain about that," Jarrett said. "He's intense, man."
Nielsen radiates passion; it's evident upon meeting him that he's laser focused, attentive, interested in the topic at hand and, as Jarrett said, super, super intense.
But this is only the summer, and there's still another gear to be hit in the coming months. This is part of the reason there's so much optimism surrounding Atlanta's defense, as the effective infusion of new life on the coaching staff paired with several on-field upgrades has rejuvenated a unit that's largely been uninspiring over the past several seasons.
The Falcons closed last year with momentum defensively, so much so that Nielsen's predecessor, Dean Pees, said he feels they fielded a top-10 group by season's end due to a number of statistics, including that across the final nine games, Atlanta allowed just 19.7 points per game, fifth fewest in the league.
As such, Nielsen inherited a defense that already had positive momentum and has only improved this offseason - but still, his intensity, attention to detail and competitive nature has brought a different vibe to the unit ... and it's spreading rapidly.
"Yeah, 100 percent, you can feel it," second year outside linebacker Arnold Ebiketie said. "You can definitely feel the intensity, the intent to be violent every time we're on the field. As a defense, our identity is to go out there and be the most physical defense. You can definitely feel it increasing every day."
The 44-year-old Nielsen is, evidently, a culture-changing individual; he's earned praise from 15-year veteran Calais Campbell for his football mind, and it's clear that his personality has worn off on his new players in a short time.
But that's only part of Nielsen's true value - remember what his past players in Elliss and Onyemata had to say? As a coach, Nielsen thrives with player development; he's hands-on, engaging and unafraid to enter someone's personal space - just ask Jarrett.
Sure, Nielsen has yet to call a play in Atlanta, and that'll ultimately be what defines his tenure ... but he's legitimately changing things in a hurry, both on the field and in the locker room, to the extent that Jarrett, now in his ninth season, really hasn't seen much like what's taken place this spring.
"I'm getting some of the best coaching instruction I've had, and I'm super, super excited to see it translate on the field," said Jarrett. "As far as the whole defense, everybody's taking to (Nielsen), and we've got some new pieces in, so I'm excited to see what we cook up through this time, training camp coming, and I think it's going to be a good time."
To recap, Nielsen, as described by his players, is intense, detailed, gives off contagious energy, and is highly competitive - in addition to giving Jarrett a new degree of coaching.
But not to be lost in the portrayal of Nielsen is that he's also well-regarded as an individual; he fit in quickly with Atlanta's coaching staff and front office, and his past players have nothing but good things to say.
In essence, Nielsen appears to have found the balance between compassionate colleague and respected coach, perhaps best reflected in his tough love relationship with Jarrett.
"I'm definitely enjoying working with him and just want to continue building our relationship," Jarrett said, "but at the same time have him challenge me to be the best I can be."
And if Nielsen's close-faced, intense, high-level coaching instructions during OTAs have proven anything, it's that being challenged is a safe bet - whether it be a proven veteran like Jarrett, an ascending young player such as Ebiketie, or anyone else ...
And that's why his tenure with the Falcons is off to a "phenomenal" start.
You can follow Daniel Flick on Twitter @DFlickDraft
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