Falcons' Arthur Smith Praises 'Highly Competitive' Jaylinn Hawkins

Jaylinn Hawkins has caught the attention of Atlanta Falcons coach Arthur Smith.

Jeremy Brener | Aug 5, 2023

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Atlanta Falcons

The Atlanta Falcons are excited to boast a very deep safety group, led by Jessie Bates III and Richie Grant.

But there's another safety turning heads on the roster ... fourth-year pro Jaylinn Hawkins, who is looking to continue making a mark for the Falcons.

"He’s got instincts and he’s made some big plays for us before. He enjoys playing. He’s highly competitive. The things we look for,” Smith said.

Hawkins echoed those "instincts" when he was interviewed by reporters.

"I always have a fire. Circumstances don't determine the fire," Hawkins said via ESPN's Mike Rothstein. "I'm a self-motivator. I'm always doing what it takes to get better."

Following a year where he started 16 games, recording 84 total tackles, two interceptions and six pass deflections, Hawkins proved he could be the long term safety in Atlanta.

Bates and Grant are supposed to start, leaving Hawkins on the outs, but that doesn't mean he won't play. Hawkins remains very versatile, and there's potential for him to seeing playing time on special teams or elsewhere in the secondary.

Hawkins is also entering the final year of his rookie contract, making it arguably his most important season to date.

If Hawkins can continue to make plays for the Falcons and display that competitive edge, he's going to make it very difficult for Atlanta to not re-sign him at the end of the season.

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Published Aug 5, 2023

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.