What players from this draft class are you most excited about?
I love Drake. I mean, he’s a big target: tall, long, rangy, he can get up and go get the ball. He makes plays after the catch; he’s a hard guy to tackle. And I love the quarterback. I think he’s gonna be really good, man. He’s a big kid, strong, can make all the throws all over the field, and is athletic. I really, really, think that he’s gonna be a difference-maker for us for years to come.
The falcons have had exceptional stability at the wide receiver position, really, since you were drafted in 2005. What about Drake makes you think he can be next in line?
He has every tool that you need to be great at the position. His ability to just make plays over the top, pluck the ball out of the sky, and his route running ability which he’ll get better at over time. But you can’t teach size, length, and the ability to create separation. So he does a really good job of that. And then finishing plays, he does a lot of that. I’ve seen a lot of tape on him at USC, where he finished his plays, and that’s important in the NFL, just getting the extra yardage and doing little things.
So Drake’s really well-rounded. He’s a really good player. And we’re going to expect really, really big things.
Outside of Drake, why should fans be excited about the Falcons next year?
Our fans should be excited because it’s gonna be youthful. They’re gonna play hard. They’re gonna be scrappy. They’re gonna show up each and every Sunday ready to ball and be ready to fight. And it’s just a different vibe.
I’m excited about our young team, and we got a lot of really good pieces around us, and I think they’re gonna put it all together. We’re gonna win a lot of games.
This is weird — I don’t think we’ve said Kyle Pitts’ name?
Oh, yeahhh. [Roddy laughs hysterically]
Man, the unicorn. That guy, I mean, he does everything, man Kyle. Last year he came in and just destroyed every tight end record. He’s so versatile, man. He can play outside, can play…