Falcons Flashing: Who's Impressed Arthur Smith in Training Camp?

Atlanta Falcons coach Arthur Smith has singled out several players throughout the early portion of training camp.

The Atlanta Falcons have now completed three padded practice sessions and are well over a week into training camp, with things shaping up ahead of the preseason opener against the Miami Dolphins on Aug. 11.

And with that comes intrigue about potential risers and fallers on the roster, as the Falcons will begin trimming their roster from 90 down to 53 in the coming weeks.

The man with primary control over that is coach Arthur Smith, who's met with the media each day of practice - and has, at various points, dropped clues as to who's made positive impressions on him.

Starting on the line of scrimmage, Smith praised defensive tackle Carlos Davis, unprompted, when talking about the growth of young defensive linemen.

"Carlos Davis is a guy that hasn’t been here very long, but he’s flashed," Smith said.

Davis was particularly impressive on Tuesday, recording a solid one-on-one rep early in practice before getting a sack in the team portion. The 26-year-old played in 12 games across three seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers after being drafted in the seventh round in 2021.

The Falcons signed Davis towards the end of OTAs; he's been around for less than two months, but has evidently gotten off to a fast start.

The same is true for defensive tackle Ta'Quon Graham in his recovery from the torn MCL that cost him a majority of the second half of last season. Smith said that Graham "physically looks great" and "looks good overall" as he's returned to full action.

Transitioning to the other line, Smith singled out a pair of offensive linemen when discussing the job that coach Dwayne Ledford has done in regard to player development up front.

"Ryan Neuzil, he continues to make strides," Smith said. "Jalen Mayfield looks a lot better. It’s good to see and you forget how young Jalen is - he could still potentially be playing at Michigan if he had taken his COVID year, his sixth year. He had a lot of growth potential and it’s been encouraging so far."

This is Neuzil's third year in the Falcons' program, having spent the entirety of his professional career in Atlanta after going undrafted in 2021. He saw snaps in each of the last nine games a season ago, largely on special teams, and has worked as the second team center throughout camp.

Mayfield's play has been far more covered, as his difficult rookie season two years ago put him in hot water and he's still rebuilding his stock in the eyes of some - and evidently, he's doing exactly that for Smith this summer.

It's been a long time since Mayfield played a competitive snap, as he missed the entirety of last season due to a back injury that also cost him extended time during camp last August.

But now, Mayfield's healthy and ready to prove he's put his tough first two years in the rearview mirror ... and appears well on his way to doing exactly that.

Another area where risers have emerged for Smith is the secondary, where Clark Phillips III, Darren Hall and Cornell Armstrong have stated their case for roles in a highly competitive room.

Hall has been very impressive in spurts, shutting down star receiver Drake London in two-on-twos and nearly intercepting a deep pass from quarterback Taylor Heinicke on back-to-back days.

During ones, Hall has often found himself in good position, and he's made several good plays on the ball throughout the past few days - which has helped catch Smith's attention, much like he did in camp heading into 2022.

"He had a really good camp last year," Smith said. "Like a lot of young guys, he’s had some good games. He's got to compete, and I thought the last couple of days, he’s flashed."

As for Armstrong, Smith said that the 27-year-old "just continues to get better," a sentiment he also shared down the stretch of last year. Armstrong, who's been on the wrong end of several impressive throws and catches during camp, is well-supported within Atlanta's locker room and could have a better chance to make the roster than some believe.

Phillips, the Falcons' fourth-round pick, exploded onto the scene with an interception while covering London and has continued his strong form - Smith noted that he's "made some obvious splash plays that everybody's seen" during camp and has been fun to coach.

Standing across from this trio of corners has been wideout Frank Darby, entering his third - and perhaps most important - training camp, with Smith dubbing it a "big year" for him ... and thus far, he's delivering with the pressure ramped up.

"I thought he’s had a pretty impressive camp so far, but it's going to play out," Smith said. "I’m excited to see what he looks like in the preseason.”

There have been a number of others who've drawn praise, including defensive end Zach Harrison, running back Bijan Robinson, offensive lineman Matthew Bergeron, receiver Zay Malone and a few coaches, including defensive assistants Jerry Gray and Dave Huxtable.

But not to be lost in the bigger picture is that Smith and general manager Terry Fontenot's roster decisions will come down to more than just impressive flash plays or early camp performance.

Last year, Smith stressed that it's easy to come out of the gates hot, but the dog days of summer often reveal true character, leaving the door open for plenty of others to rise - and fall - in the coming weeks.

Perhaps just as important is the point that these flashes don't always tell the full story; Smith, Fontenot and staff have the capabilities of seeing the story when others don't ... and really, that's what the final decisions will come down to.

"We’ve had a lot of guys – some guys, they flash," Smith said. "But you just got to see the whole body of work. Some days you come off the field and think, ‘Hey, this guy had a couple of splash plays.’ Then there were about five or six plays that may not have been exposed on the field, but you’re watching the film and maybe he missed a sign or the technique and the consequences that led to something else.

"So, it's all about daily improvement for us."

And in that case, it's far too early to appoint any riser as a safe bet to make the roster - but there's only one chance to make a positive first impression in camp, and thus far, a handful of players have capitalized on the opportunity.

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You can follow Daniel Flick on Twitter @DFlickDraft

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