Falcon Report

Is Atlanta Falcons Best Training Camp Battle in the Secondary?

The Atlanta Falcons begin training camp this week, and one of the best position battles will be between safeties DeMarcco Hellams and Richie Grant.

CJ Errickson

Atlanta Falcons safety DeMarcco Hellams finished his rookie season strong.
Atlanta Falcons safety DeMarcco Hellams finished his rookie season strong. / Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
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The Atlanta Falcons kick off training camp tomorrow in Flowery Branch, Ga. On defense, the team has a new identity with new head coach Raheem Morris and new defensive coordinator Jimmy Lake. There will be plenty of competition at numerous positions on the defensive side of the football between inside linebacker, cornerback, and now the safety position opposite potential perennial All-Pro and Pro Bowler Jessie Bates III. 

The Falcons have multiple positions unsettled heading into camp including cornerback, inside linebacker, return man, wide receiver, and finally safety. A fourth-year player and a seventh-round pick in 2023 will battle it out for one of the more crucial positions on defense. However, one may face more of an uphill battle for more reasons than one.

Richie Grant has all the potential but has not fully tapped into it yet.

Falcons safety Richie Grant is entering his fourth NFL season with the team. Moreover, this is the final year of his rookie contract, and he could be a potential cut candidate as he would save Atlanta roughly $3 million if they were to move on from the former UCF Knight.

With former brilliant defensive mind Dean Pees as his initial defensive coordinator his first two years, Ryan Nielsen last year, and now Jimmy Lake, all the defensive changes may have been a bit much for him to acclimate to, as he has produced mixed results. 

However, the case could also be made for players like A.J. Terrell and Grady Jarrett, but their production has been outstanding despite the changes.

Grant was a star in college at UCF, breaking numerous records and being on multiple award watchlists. He was a finalist for the Jim Thorpe Award (Best Collegiate Defensive Back) in 2020. Having to split the back end has been an adjustment for him, as he was predominantly a single-high safety in college.

One would think it would not be that big of a transition, but it has been, considering he only had a 42.4 coverage grade last season, according to Pro Football Focus. He is a quality run defender but even his tackling was suspect in 2023. Otherwise, the door will be opened again for a former seventh-round pick who came on in a hurry at the end of last season.

DeMarcco Hellams is a hard player to keep off the field after how he finished last season.

In the four games DeMarcco Hellams started as a rookie last season, he was quite the asset for Atlanta. According to PFF, he accounted for 24 tackles while only missing three and was influential in coverage, only allowing 4.5 yards per reception with zero touchdowns.

More specifically, opposing quarterbacks could only boast a 70.1 NFL passer rating while targeting him in coverage. As training camp starts in two days, look for him to become more involved in ball skills and make a difference as he did as a member of the Crimson Tide at Alabama.

In his senior season under legendary head coach Nick Saban, he led the team and was sixth in the SEC in total tackles with 108. Additionally, he had four career interceptions in 28 games, being a starter for Saban and a core special teamer, with over 400 snaps accounted for. 

He is a player who naturally gravitates to the football and is a valuable asset in run support. More importantly, he brings an infectious aspect of accountability and leadership to a locker room. Senior defensive assistant Dave Huxtable saw first-hand what Hellams is capable of around this time last year, if not a few weeks later.

"DeMarcco, he's a worker," Huxtable said, "and he's learned how to work with a good work ethic, and I think he's done a great job coming here, learning the system, maybe some new techniques, some new fundamentals. I think he's picked those things up really well. You know what he was in college? He was a hitter," Huxtable said. "In that game Friday (2023 preseason) night? Multiple tackles coming from the safety position. He doesn't turn down a hit, and that's what he was at Alabama."

Last preseason, he played well and turned heads, and with some NFL experience under his belt, expect him to make a difference in his second season starting Wednesday when the team kicks off 2024’s training camp.

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CJ Errickson

CJ ERRICKSON

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