Atlanta Falcons DL Ta'Quon Graham's Practice Habits Force Inactive Status, says Coach

Atlanta Falcons defensive lineman Ta'Quon Graham has been inactive in each of the past two weeks - and coach Jerry Gray revealed why.

The Atlanta Falcons surprised many when defensive lineman Ta'Quon Graham was a healthy scratch in Week 5 against the Houston Texans and doubled down the following week vs. the Washington Commanders.

Graham, 24, was enjoying a breakout season last year before suffering a torn MCL in Week 11; it created a mental hurdle that he was still battling at the start of training camp, but Falcons coach Arthur Smith was complimentary of his progress.

When discussing the ascension of young pass rushers this summer, Smith was quick to point towards Graham, who had eight quarterback hits last season despite not recording a sack.

And so, expectations were high for the 2021 fifth-round pick ... but after four games in which he played roughly 25-30 percent of Atlanta's defensive snaps and managed only four tackles, he was sent to the bench.

But why?

Falcons assistant head coach/defense Jerry Gray pointed to Graham's performance throughout the week at practice as the primary reason.

“I think it goes back to practicing," Gray said. “What are you doing in practice that’s going to allow you to get on the field? And I think that’s one thing that every person has to go through. When you look at yourself and say, ‘Am I practicing as hard as I can? Am I doing what I need to do?’ And if you are, then you know what? You go in there and state your case.

“If you’re not doing it, then you know what you’re going to have to do. You don’t have to state your case because the film has already said it.”

Atlanta Falcons defensive lineman Ta'Quon Graham has endured a difficult 2023 season / USA Today Sports

It's certainly not the outcome many anticipated for Graham's third professional campaign, but with 11 regular season games still to play, there's time left to turn it around.

That said, Graham, who started nine games last year, wasn't necessarily playing a considerable role anyways - in large part because of Atlanta's newfound defensive line depth.

With free agent additions David Onyemata and Calais Campbell occupying snaps and late signee Albert Huggins taking over more responsibilities in the past two games, Graham's outlook becomes murky.

Again, the Falcons had high hopes for Graham and planned on him being a factor in pass rush situations ... but the combination of his practice habits and Atlanta's heightened depth inside have rendered him a healthy scratch.

“I think (defensive coordinator) Ryan (Nielsen) and Arthur always talk about competition and what are you doing during the week,” Gray said. “The biggest thing is getting guys to understand that you’re constantly being evaluated on what you do in practice.

“One of the things that we’ve shown is if you practice, you’re probably going to get what you get in the game, and if you go out there and don’t practice well, you’re probably going to get what you get in the game.”

Gray later reiterated that if you practice at a high level, you'll play at a high level, and Atlanta's coaching staff is trying to set a standard for the players to practice at.

Should the standard not be met, the result is growing clear: just look at Graham.

“If you don’t do that, then the other guys get rewarded," Gray said. “If you’re not practicing hard, it’s going to be hard to go out there and play during the course of the game.”

The Falcons currently have eight defensive linemen on their roster - Graham, Onyemata, Campbell, Huggins, Grady Jarrett, Joe Gaziano, Zach Harrison and Eli Ankou.

Against Washington, the trio of Graham, Gaziano and Ankou were healthy scratches. Graham and Huggins have seen their snaps inversely correlate, illustrating the direction Atlanta's leaning in terms of practice performance.

In the span of two months, Graham's profile has gone from ascending young interior defender to facing an unsettling reality - what he's done in return from injury hasn't been enough to get on the field.

Graham remains talented and capable of growing into the pressure player the Falcons think he can be ... but the battle to reach his ceiling on Sundays is currently being fought most in practice during the week, and at least in Gray's eyes, that challenge hasn't been conquered.