FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. – Sky-high expectations don’t fall for NFL Draft picks taken after the first round. Instant impacts are also assumed from second rounders, especially those off the board early on Day 2.
Count Richie Grant in that group. The versatile safety was well regarded coming out of Central Florida, certainly someone worthy of the Falcons’ No. 40 overall selection last year.
Common outside perception, rather unfairly, is that he should’ve stepped right in, taken a veteran’s job and played every single defensive snap last season.
That didn’t happen, but that doesn’t mean he underwhelmed. It doesn’t mean he struggled unexpectedly or didn’t deserve his draft slot.
Grant’s rookie season fell roughly in line with the Falcons internal expectations.
Head coach Arthur Smith talks a ton, especially during the offseason and training camp, about the Falcons’ “long-term vision” for a player. That’s code for a development plan to maximize NFL potential without overwhelming a prospect or putting him in position to struggle. Smith is a huge believer in creating one for every player, especially younger talents just coming into the league.
We had a pre-draft conversation that included long-term visions for his players, how they’re executed and how they don’t always match with fan expectations. He used Grant as an example of that.
The safety didn’t disappoint the team in 2021. He was committed to his craft. He grew and developed as a rookie, and now it’s time to take things up a notch.
These development plans don’t exist in a vacuum, susceptible to outside variables like injuries to the player, or within his position group, or the grade of his learning curve.