South Atlanta News

ATLANTA – A hush fell over the crowd at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Friday night as the Falcons conducted one of their first 11-on-11 periods during an open practice. Dave Archer, who was emceeing the evening, spoke up.

"Everyone welcome back someone who we've missed since the middle of last season," Archer's voice boomed. "You know him. And remember his calling card..."

Archer paused for dramatic effect before lowering his voice a few octaves.

"You shall not pass," echoed the former Falcons quarterback.

The cameraman zoomed in on Grady Jarrett, sandwiched between David Onyemata and Lorenzo Carter on the Falcons' defensive line, showing him clearly on the halo board at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. The crowd gave the 10-year veteran the loudest cheer of the night.

This was one moment among many as fans gathered to see the team in their final open practice of training camp. The preseason starts next week with joint practices against the Dolphins in Miami. In a week, they will play their first of three preseason games.

Until then, though, the Falcons continue their preparations.

Notes and observations:

Sleeper picks: James Smith-Williams has assumed a role as a starting outside linebacker. Eddie Goldman continues to get reps with the first team; defensive coordinator Jimmy Lake praised Goldman's conditioning earlier this week. Demone Harris also received first-team reps throughout Friday night's practice. Bradlee Anae, an outside linebacker who joined as a tryout player this spring, is seeing increasing rotational work in certain packages.

Moving up the lineup: Bralen Trice is getting more opportunities with each practice. He participated both with the first and second teams during rotations. However, this increased presence contrasts with Arnold Ebiketie’s seemingly reduced snap count.

"Koooooo": Younghoe Koo received significant cheers from fans after making two game-winning kicks during a two-minute drill scenario, including a 53-yard field goal.

Two-minute drills: The Falcons were down 23-21 with 1:05 left on the clock and one timeout remaining. Kirk Cousins led the first-team offense efficiently downfield, hitting Kyle Pitts and Darnell Mooney once and Drake London twice to set up Koo’s successful field goal attempt from 41 yards out. Notably, Storm Norton replaced long-time left tackle Jake Matthews until just before Koo’s kick.

The second-team offense led by rookie Michael Penix Jr. went 4 for 5 through the air during their drill but faced strong defense from inside linebacker JD Bertrand. Despite some setbacks, Penix managed to move into field goal range for Koo’s successful 53-yard kick.

Final tallies: According to notes taken during practice, Penix completed 10 of 20 passes despite several drops and narrowly missing a touchdown pass due to Chris Blair failing to get a second foot down in bounds.

Kirk Cousins had an impressive performance, completing 19 of 21 passes with only two incompletions recorded as deep shots. Cousins connected with six different receivers throughout practice but found Drake London most frequently.

The highlight was Cousins hitting London downfield for what appeared to be a catch exceeding 30 yards—a standout play that thrilled fans in attendance.

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