Notes, quotes and observations from Day 2 of Falcons rookie minicamp

Let’s start this section off, as Tori McElhaney did in Friday’s notes, stating that this is a rookie minicamp practice conducted without pads and with players, most of them here on a tryout basis, who got the playbook but a few days ago. Nothing will be even close to perfect. And it also must be said that we can only watch but a third of these 90-minute sessions. There will be no complete pictures painted in this notebook. Only first impressions.

I tried to focus on other areas that Tori did the day before, starting with:

The receiver group: There are no draft picks in this collection, but there are feature players within it. Keilhan Harris‘ crisp route running in individual drills stood out from an undrafted trio that also includes Justin Marshall and Zay Malone.

Josh Ali showed off some nice hands, including once when he had to go up and snag a high fastball. He stands as motivation for others in rookie minicamp, as a tryout player in 2022 who was later signed to the practice squad. He appeared in two regular-season games and got a reserve futures deal for 2023 camp.

J.J. Arcega-Whiteside, a Stanford product and 2019 second-round NFL draft pick, is in rookie minicamp on a tryout basis. He’s a big dude who plays like one. It’s uncertain whether he earns a roster spot, but there’s precedent for an older player getting pulled in off a tryout. That’s what happened with Geronimo Allison in 2022, though he couldn’t turn it into a regular-season roster spot.

Zach Harrison: The Ohio State product is a massive human and sure looks like a fit for what the Falcons are building up front. He has a huge wingspan and frame that could hold more bulk should the team request it. We’ll see how he develops and functions within the system, but it was clear right away that he has NFL-quality physical skill for Ryan Nielsen and the coaching staff to work with.

Bijan Robinson: I’ve already prefaced this section with a plea to avoid reading much into any observation written. It’s rookie minicamp, competition is light (full of tryout players) and these practices are teaching sessions more than anything else.

Let’s reinforce that here before we talk about the No. 8 overall pick. Let’s also say that there’s no solid contact, which is required to fully evaluate the run game.

I will say, though, that Robinson has quick feet and incredible balance and makes subtle movements trying to squeak by people. He also played everywhere. It’s zero secret that he’ll line up…