Watching Nash, but impressed by Polk: As previously mentioned, I spent a lot of time watching the pass catchers during Friday’s practice (mainly because Pearce and Walker were on a different field that I could not venture to, but I digress). I may have been taking diligent notes on what I saw from Watts, but it was actually Makai Polk who I thought sparked the most during practice.
Polk is a receiver who is already on the Falcons roster (having signed a reserve/futures deal in January), but was participating in practice Friday. He was a free agent out of Mississippi State, where in his lone season with the Bulldogs, led the SEC with 105 receptions for 1,048 yards and nine touchdowns. Since joining the league in 2022, Polk has spent time with the Ravens and Giants. Most recently, though, Polk played for the Toronto Argonauts in the Canadian Football League. It was there Polk shined, finishing the 2024 season with five 100-yard games in the last seven regular season games.
At 6-foot-3, 192 pounds, Polk’s length and confidence was on full display Friday. He’s the type of player who’s presence I felt immediately, to the point of feeling confident that no matter where the ball was, Polk was going to come down with it. He made one of the best catches of the day, hauling in a 25-yard pass from Emory Jones down the heart of the field and surrounded by three defenders, going up and over one to make the grab.
Between Nash and Polk — as well as other veteran receivers who we will see later — I think the Falcons are actually in a very good spot when it comes to competition at the position.
Ramping up quickly: Going into the 2025 NFL Draft, I said a few times the Falcons needed to get multiple defensive starters out of the group. Between Walker, Pearce, Xavier Watts and Billy Bowman Jr., I think they may have done exactly that. And that, Morris said Friday, is the expectation.
So much so I would say this was the quote of the day:
“Make no mistake about it,” Morris said, “we are going to have some real intentionality about playing our rookies this season and getting those guys on the grass, see who can play some significant amount of football for us.”
