Falcons Undrafted Rookie Jared Bernhardt Opening Eyes in Preseason
Atlanta Falcons rookie quarterback Desmond Ridder dropped back to pass on 4th-and-9, down three points, with only 90 seconds to go.
Facing near instant pressure, Ridder escaped the pocket, rolled right, and threw up a jump ball to rookie receiver Jared Bernhardt.
The 6-1, 195-pound Bernhardt wasn't the most obvious candidate for a 50/50 ball, but he was Ridder's only option. With the game on the line and the ball floating through the air, Bernhardt allowed his instincts to take over, working back to Ridder's pass and hauling in a go-ahead touchdown that ultimately proved to be the difference.
Ridder described Bernhardt's efforts as a "huge play for us," but to truly gain an appreciation for what it meant to the rookie wideout, consider that his experience on the football didn't stretch beyond option quarterback prior to signing with the Falcons as an undrafted free agent.
Or consider that he was one of the elite players in another sport and gave it all up to play Division II football.
Bernhardt starred on both the football and lacrosse fields in high school, but ultimately chose to follow in the footsteps of his two brothers and trade the pigskin for a stick, attending national lacrosse powerhouse Maryland.
Before graduating high school, he was the U-19 World Championships MVP and earned All-World team honors. He arrived at Maryland as the No. 3 overall recruit in his class and a day-one starter on a team that proceeded to win the National Championship.
Fast forward to his fifth collegiate season, and Bernhardt turned in one of the greatest campaigns in college lacrosse history. He finished his time with the Terrapins as the record-holder in several key categories, include all-time and single-season points and goals.
But still, Bernhardt wasn't totally satisfied with his college experience. Still holding a year of eligibility due to the COVID-19 pandemic, he opted to resume his football career, transferring to Division 2 Ferris State.
Bernhardt won the competition for the starting job ... at quarterback. Despite not playing competitive football since 2016, he immediately produced, racking up over 1,300 yards and 11 touchdowns through the air while rushing for over 1,400 yards and 26 touchdowns.
He won conference player of the year honors and led Ferris State to an undefeated season, capping it off with the program's first-ever National Championship.
Despite winning championships and player of the year awards in two sports, Bernhardt went undrafted this April, though The Athletic's draft expert, Dane Brugler, revealed that several scouts thought the Florida native would be drafted prior to running a 4.70 40-yard dash.
The winding road from lacrosse superstar to Division II National Champion ultimately led Bernhardt to Atlanta, where he's made a positive impression on Falcons coach Arthur Smith.
"He can play in space. Leverage. Spatial awareness," Smith named when discussing Bernhardt's top traits. "I love his competitiveness, but he has a lot of work to do."
Bernhardt never was going to be a finished product at receiver this early in his professional career. That being said, Smith has been blown away by the pace with which Bernhardt has gotten up to speed and sees upside in the 24-year-old.
“I’ll say it’s been pretty eye-opening to see how quickly he’s made the transition,” said Smith. "I’ll give him credit there. The other night (against the Lions), you can see his spatial awareness as he went to box a guy up to get to the top of the route. So, I’m excited to keep working with him.”
Bernhardt's game-winning touchdown against the Lions was largely just a synopsis of what he's been doing throughout Atlanta's offseason program. He carried that strong form over to New Jersey, where the Falcons held a joint practice with the New York Jets.
Matched up with No. 4 overall pick Ahmad "Sauce" Gardner, Bernhardt won inside leverage off the line of scrimmage and was on the receiving end of another tight-window touchdown pass from Ridder.
Bernhardt could almost certainly be starring in professional lacrosse if he wanted to. Instead, he's putting his all into living out a dream as an NFL player, scratching and clawing his way into contention for a roster spot.
While Bernhardt still has work to do, he's in a much better position than he was at the start of minicamp. In the meantime, the multi-talented athlete needs to continue stacking plays, much as he's done his entire life.
