The Atlanta Falcons inked two members of their 2022 draft class on Wednesday, signing second-round pick Troy Andersen and third-rounder DeAngelo Malone to their rookie deals.
Andersen, a versatile and athletic inside linebacker out of Montana State, should immediately compete for reps on the Falcons defense. Malone is a slightly more raw prospect, but the Western Kentucky standout’s pass-rush ability will make him hard to keep off the field this season.
We have signed two defenders from our 2022 draft class. https://t.co/RFlrpvUh7N
— Atlanta Falcons (@AtlantaFalcons) May 25, 2022
The Falcons didn’t re-sign Dante Fowler or Steven Means — last year’s starting outside linebackers — so Malone has a chance to make an impact as a rookie. There’s a bit of a logjam at inside linebacker, though.
Despite letting Foye Oluokun walk in free agency, the team signed Rashaan Evans, Nick Kwiatkoski and drafted Andersen. Then there’s Deion Jones, Atlanta’s highest-paid player ($20 million cap hit in 2022).
As for the other rookies, Drake London, Tyler Allgeier, John FitzPatrick and Justin Shaffer have all signed their rookie deals. The team still must sign OLB Arnold Ebiketie and quarterback Desmond Ridder.
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