Falcons WR Jared Bernhardt Building Strong Case to Make Team vs. Jets
Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Jared Bernhardt was just supposed to be a camp body, but he's turned into way much more than that.
In the first half against the New York Jets, the former D-II quarterback hauled in three catches for 67 yards.
He's simply picking up where he left off against the Detroit Lions last week.
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 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 field didn't stretch beyond option quarterback prior to signing with the Falcons as an undrafted free agent.
"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 and strong first half against the Jets was largely just a synopsis of what he's been doing throughout Atlanta's offseason program.
Now that he's stacking several strong performances back to back, the former lacrosse star and D-II quarterback might make a true living as a Falcons receiver.
