‘Massive Man’: Role, Reasoning for Atlanta Falcons Drafting Georgia DL Zion Logue

The Atlanta Falcons selected a University of Georgia player for the third time in four years under general manager Terry Fontenot. Here’s how Zion Logue ended up in Atlanta.

Atlanta Falcons 6th-Round Draft Pick Zion Logue Georgia Bulldogs / Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

When Zion Logue woke up April 27, he had a collection of hats that totaled 16 — one for each NFL team he’d spent the most time with throughout the pre-draft process.

Just shy of 5 p.m. EDT, the former University of Georgia defensive lineman slid a black hat onto his head. On the hat’s front panel sat the traditional logo of the Atlanta Falcons, who turned in draft card No. 197 with Logue’s name on it.

From one perspective, Logue has 15 hats he no longer needs. From another, he has the only one he needs — the team where the next four years of his career may rest.

“I still can’t put it into words,” Logue said. “I’m so blessed, just to stay in Georgia. I’m ready to get started.”

Logue’s introduction to the Falcons came at the NFL Combine, when the two sides spoke briefly. They reunited at Atlanta’s local day April 12, when Logue met general manager Terry Fontenot, head coach Raheem Morris and defensive line coach Jay Rodgers.

The Falcons took a different interview style, Logue said, going for a walk-and-talk instead of the normal sit-down. Atlanta asked Logue how he saw himself fitting, the success he had at Georgia and details about Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart.

Logue, conversely, asked the Falcons’ brain trust how they saw him in the defense.

The meeting, while out of the ordinary in nature, went well — and left a strong impression on Logue, who walked away particularly fond of Morris.

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“I’d just met Coach Morris and it felt like I had known him for years,” Logue said. “Just how transparent he is, how open he is, how welcoming. He genuinely wants to know how he can make his team better from the players, not just the coaches.”

This feeling reverberated throughout the trio of Falcons staff members he spoke with, generating a profile that ultimately made him confident in Atlanta as a draft day destination.

“It was kind of just like we’ve always known each other,” Logue said. “It didn’t feel like I was meeting new people. We were talking like we’d known each other for years. I felt it was very genuine — I was just waiting on the call, honestly.”

That call came after five hours of waiting on the draft’s final day, but it came through nonetheless.

Now, Logue gets to play his pro ball in the same state he spent the last five years. However, he’s self-admittedly an introvert and didn’t explore Atlanta much during his time in Athens.

Logue said he’d go to Atlanta for bigger events like birthday parties and has gone shopping at Lenox Square, but he preferred staying in his house, relaxing and playing video games when away from the football field.

While on the gridiron, the 6-6, 314-pound Logue was a consistent face in the middle of Georgia’s defensive line, albeit never the headliner.

The Lebanon, Tenn., native arrived in Athens in 2019 and played in 50 games over his five-year career, including 43 across the past three years. He finished with 52 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, three pass deflections and a forced fumble.

He also learned invaluable lessons such as adaptability and that dependability is better than natural ability.

Logue, 22, played 295 of his 351 snaps between the guard and tackle last season, according to Pro Football Focus. He said he feels most comfortable as a three-technique defensive tackle with his hand in the dirt but also feels comfortable playing defensive end.

Atlanta’s pass rush figures to include a steady dose of stunts up front, an area Logue feels he’s well-connected with after extensive experience doing so at Georgia.

And so, for a Falcons staff which entered draft weekend eyeing size and youth on the defensive line, Logue checked a plethora of boxes.

“Big, massive man,” Fontenot said. “He's huge, big, strong, physical — good developmental traits, and I love the size and the makeup.”

Logue’s dreams came true while watching the television with his family in Lebanon, an opportunity that arose because of the traits he put on film in Athens.

Now, Logue looks to carry his personal — and team — success just 90 minutes down the road from Sanford Stadium to Mercedes-Benz Stadium, with hopes of carving out a roster spot at the sport’s highest level.

“I’m grateful to be an Atlanta Falcon,” Logue said.