The Falcons have added multiple receivers this offseason, bringing in Scotty Miller and Mack Hollins. But they will keep KhaDarel Hodge in the mix as well. Hodge re-signed with the team Tuesday.
A sixth-year veteran who has worked on special teams and as a reserve wideout, Hodge will head into his second offseason as a Falcon. The team brought in the former Rams UDFA last year and used him in all 17 games.
Perhaps best known for his two-year Browns tenure, Hodge has played for four teams in five seasons. The small-school product totaled a career-high 202 receiving yards last season, catching 13 passes and scoring his first career touchdown — a 25-yarder during a Thursday game against the Panthers — during his trial run with the Falcons.
Hodge has also spent time with the Lions, who rostered the Prairie View A&M alum in 2021. The 5-foot-11 receiver played 60% of Atlanta’s special teams plays as well, making nine ST tackles last season. Hodge’s special teams experience will likely give him an edge in the competition for backup jobs come training camp.
Atlanta has not brought back Olamide Zaccheaus, a Thomas Dimitroff-era pickup, and has been connected to wide receivers during the pre-draft process. The team has an opening for a starter alongside Drake London. But Hodge, 28, is back in position to push for a depth role on Arthur Smith‘s team.
Falcons could easily find a solid partner for London in the 2nd/3rd Round, they have plenty of other pressing needs that need addressing first. Unfortunately, at the moment, they only have three picks in the top 75, and they still have a ton of holes on their roster, lacking depth and talent in several key areas.
8, 44, 75, 110, and 113 are currently there top picks, excluding their two 7th Rounders…
I think the Falcons should actually trade back somewhere around the mid to late teens and collect some more picks in this draft.
When you’re rebuilding like the Falcons are your team needs talent and depth almost everywhere. There are PLENTY of more than capable players that are projected as 2nd-3rd round draft picks, and the Falcons could easily add one or two of these players just by trading back to a more desperate team.
If I’m Atlanta, the only way I don’t trade back is if one of the top, game-changing players on my board falls to number 8, or if I’m dead-set on drafting a QB, and the arm I like is still available. Other than that, the Falcons clearly benefit the most by gaining more picks in the 2nd-3rd round range.