Wide Receiver Watch: Which Falcons WRs Face Roster Bubble?

There's no room for error for those who want to make the team.

Jeremy Brener | Aug 15, 2022

There are 12 wide receivers on the Atlanta Falcons 90-man roster, but chances are only half of them will make the final 53-man team.

Out of the dozen receivers, there are truly only three locks to make the final roster ... No. 8 overall pick Drake London, Bryan Edwards and Olamide Zacchaeus. And it is going to be a long shot for undrafted rookies Stanley Berryhill, Tyshaun James and Jared Bernhardt to make the team. That leaves two or three spots for six veterans, who are all having different trajectories in training camp.

KhaDarel Hodge drew the start in Friday's preseason opener, which likely points to him being the biggest favorite of the bubble players to make the team. Hodge is a fifth-year pro who played in 16 games last season for the Detroit Lions and can make contributions on offense and special teams.

Special teams is the easiest way to earn a spot on the team for a skill player, and Cameron Batson and Damiere Byrd are apart of the return specialist competition. Though that could be a way to make the team, the pair of vets face long odds to win the job with former All-Pro specialist Cordarrelle Patterson in the mix.

Those on the outside looking in are Geronimo Allison, Frank Darby and Auden Tate. Of the three, Allison saw the most action in Friday's preseason opener and is the one who has impressed the most during camp so far.

However, with London injuring himself Friday night, reps will open up in practice. According to ESPN, Darby was the biggest beneficiary of more opportunities in Sunday's practice, the first one since Friday's game. Tate was on the second field for most of the practice, as he has for the majority of camp so far. This could allude to Tate not having a great chance of making the final roster.

However, there are still two full weeks left before the roster decisions have to be made, and there's still chances for the depth chart to fluctuate as camp enters the next phase.

All 32 NFL rosters must dwindle to 85 by Tuesday at 4 p.m., then 80 by next Tuesday and 53 by Aug. 30.

Published Aug 15, 2022

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.