Which Falcons Standout Could Be Offensive Missing Link?
Yes, there is a secret weapon to the Atlanta Falcons passing attack in the second season of the Arthur Smith era. No, it's not Kyle Pitts or Drake London.
Fourth-year receiver Olamide Zaccheaus comes with the most experience at the receiver role entering training camp - or at least he does in Smith's offense. The 5-9, 193-pound Zaccheaus also has earned the respect of the coaching staff, something most receivers in the room can't yet say.
There's another element to Zaccheaus' game that no one seems to mention; size. The Falcons' offense elected to add big-bodied pass-catchers rather than shiftier options that can play either on the edge or in the slot.
London stands 6-5. Pitts is 6-6. Newly acquired Bryan Edwards stand 6-3 while Auden Tate comes in a 6-4. Geronimo Allison is 6-3. Even second-year receiver Frank Darby is 6-1.
Sure, size was the selling point for the 23rd-ranked offense from last season, but the Falcons need vertical speed to win, too. Zaccheaus played that role last fall, averaging 13.1 yards per reception. The year prior, he averaged 13.7 per.
Is Zaccheaus a lock to make the final 53-man roster? That still remains in question. Smith has expressed having a soft spot for the former Virginia receiver, often praising his work ethic and drive to exceed expectations each snap.
“Try not to play favorites, we love all our players, but I have a great appreciation (for) guys like OZ," Smith said during OTAs. "He was an 'eighth-round' (meaning "undrafted'') guy, came up the hard way in the NFL."
Atlanta's offense could be looking to push the ball downfield as much as possible with either Marcus Mariota or Desmond Ridder at quarterback. The addition of Edwards provides a 1-2 combination of vertical receivers.
Last season, Zaccheaus recorded six receptions of over 20 yards. In Las Vegas, Edwards tallied 11 catches of 20-plus. Both players recorded over 75 snaps of go-route patterns in their respective offenses.
Defenses should be ready to play near the line of scrimmage in hopes of winning the one-on-one battles against the Falcons' bigger receivers. Zaccheaus is different because his size and agility should allow him to sneak past defenders if he wins on initial contact.
London, Edwards and Pitts might be a formidable trio, but the Falcons need a replacement for Russell Gage is terms of shiftiness, Zaccheaus, who forced a combined 25 missed tackles in two years, should be the first option to take over.
