Cal Football: Shocker -- Jaylinn Hawkins Taken in Fourth Round by Falcons

Safety becomes emotional after being picked earlier in the draft than he expected

When the call came Saturday from the Atlanta Falcons, Jaylinn Hawkins was so flustered he accidentally hung up on them.

“I kind of froze,” Hawkins said. “I kind of felt like we won the Super Bowl. I can’t explain it.”

The connection eventually was made, and the Falcons told the former Cal safety he was their fourth-round pick of the NFL draft, taken with the 134th overall pick.

“I expected to go later, but I’m just thankful, man, and extremely blessed,” Hawkins said. “To get that call, it’s once in a lifetime, it’s priceless. I can’t even explain it. Right now I’m still in shock.

***Evan Weaver taken in sixth round by the Cardinals

As the 14-minute Zoom call with reporters unfolded, Hawkins became more and more emotional about his big day to the point where he repeatedly wiped away tears from his face.

“When Ashtyn went yesterday, I was almost crying,” he said, alluding to Cal teammate and fellow safety Ashtyn Davis being picked in the third round Friday by the New York Jets. “I’m going to end up crying right now.”

Hawkins was projected as a likely late-round pick or post-draft free agent signing. He said he had talked to enough teams, including the Falcons, that he he confidence he’d be drafted.

Just not as early as the fourth round. And as he talked about it and reflected on his road to this point, Hawkins could not contain his emotions.

*** Here is the full Zoom interview with Hawkins:

“My bad for the tears. I ain’t trying to be sensitive. I’m just a passionate person and this just hit different,” he said. “Like I said, yesterday seeing my boy (Davis) go. All that he’s been through . . . all that we've been through from the jump. And it don’t stop here. One more thing . . . we were roommates at the combine. It’s crazy.”

Hawkins said he had phone conversations with Falcons coaches and also spent time with representatives of the club at the NFL scouting combine. The feedback he got was encouraging. “He said, `I love you as a player and a person.’ I got that call and it was, `Wow,’ Hawkins said.

Asked what he wants the Falcons and their fans to know about him, Hawkins sounded ready to devote his heart and soul to the organization.

“I’m a stand-up kind of man, a really solid man. A man of integrity and a man who loves the game with all my heart,” he said. “I’m real passionate and I’m very competitive.

“I just want the organization to know, one, I thank them for taking a shot on me. And, two, they’re going to get one of the hardest workers. I love the game. Whatever role I’m in, I’m going to make plays and make it happen. They’re getting a student of the game.”

Davis and Hawkins are the first Cal defensive back duo selected in the first four rounds of any NFL draft. They also are the first safety tandem from Cal to be chosen in the same draft.

Photo by Neville E. Guard, USA Today

Hawkins intercepted 10 passes in his Cal career, nine of them the past two seasons for one of the Pac-12’s best defenses.

“Really good range in coverage,” said ESPN analyst Mel Kiper Jr. “He reads the quarterback and has good instincts for the position. The one thing holding him back is he’s got to be a more consistent tackler."

Mike Tanier of Bleacher Report gave the Falcons' pick of Hawkins an "A" grade.

"Hawkins got lost in Ashtyn Davis' shadow but is an instinctive, rangy playmaker in his own right. High-end ball skills and quickness in coverage. Flies downhill in run support too. Not a burner and slender frame. Falcons need all the game-changers they can get in the secondary," Tanier wrote.

The Falcons' website said Hawkins fills a need.

“Given the attrition at the safety position in recent seasons, it makes sense the Falcons would look at add some depth there in the draft," the team reported on its website. "Hawkins has experience playing a variety of roles, and he began his college career as a cornerback. The 6-foot-2, 210-pound Hawkins has the size and physicality to play the box safety role the Falcons often utilized with Keanu Neal. He also displayed a reliable nose for the football and recorded 10 interceptions in his final three college seasons, including six picks as a junior."

Cal coach Justin Wilcox expressed confidence this week that Hawkins would have appeal to NFL teams.

“Extremely physical guy. He’s tough. When I talk to the NFL guys about Jaylinn, he is one of those guys who just plays with a ton of heart. He’s a warrior in every sense of the word. Great instincts,” Wilcox said.

"I think he’ll be real valuable. He can play all four special teams and will be a great teammate. I’m really excited about Jaylinn. He’ll stick somewhere because of the ball skills, the physical nature, the special teams, the intangible things that he brings.”

***Hawkins talks about his graduation, which took place before the Redbox Bowl

Hawkins was the only Cal player to appear in all 50 games from 2016 through 2919. He had 57 tackles, two interceptions and four pass breakups as a senior.

Still waiting to be chosen is Cal linebacker Evan Weaver, a consensus All-American last fall after leading the nation with 182 tackles, a school record.

*** Here is SI's evaluation of the Jacksonville Jaguars' second-round selection of Colorado wideout Laviska Shenault Jr.: