the Atlanta Falcons under General Manager Thomas Dimitroff Stitched Devonta Freeman Jersey , you will know that there is significant importance in the annual Senior Bowl played every January in Mobile, Alabama on NFL Network. From Deion Jones to Justin Hardy to Desmond Trufant to Robert Alford, the Senior Bowl has been a key hub for the Falcons to hone in on a player or two and add some experience and leadership to their roster. Day 1 of the 2019 Senior Bowl week is in the books, so let’s take a look at a few prospects who stood out on the initial day. DE Montez Sweat, Mississippi State We start off with one of my favorite prospects in the entire 2019 NFL Draft. Sweat was already known as an athletic marvel before Senior Bowl week kicked off. So what Sweat utilized the Senior Bowl stage for at this point was to show off his rocked-up physique at 6’6 and 252 pounds with an impressive arm length at 35 5/8 inches. In 1-on-1 drills, Sweat displayed his contagious motor and his superb strength to embarrass a particular lineman on the day: Sweat checked a few boxes on the day, but of course, a lot is to still be evaluated when it comes to how he performs in live action. But so far, so good for one of the best pass rushers in the entire draft and a possible target at 14th overall for the Falcons. CB Isaiah Johnson Black Giorgio Tavecchio Jersey , Houston Cornerback may not be one of the top positions for the Falcons in this draft, but it is one to keep an eye on, especially in the middle rounds and later. The team may see some movement this offseason at corner and a hole may be created because of it. So what is intriguing about Johnson is first and foremost his size, at 6’2 and 207 pounds with solid length. Johnson has only been playing cornerback for two seasons at the University of Houston after entering the program as a wide receiver. That rawness in his game was on display at times, especially when he was lined up against South Carolina WR Deebo Samuel. However, his experience as a receiver aided his play during the practice and Johnson has enough ability right now to be a 4th CB for the Falcons and develop into a starter with patience. G Chris Lindstrom, Boston College Everybody was well aware of the elite status of last year’s first round pick Quenton Nelson of the Indianapolis Colts. The stout interior offensive linemen was one of the best selections in the entire draft and bolstered their offensive line. The Falcons may be in need of some reinforcements on the interior of their offensive line and one prospect who can be a great shot in the arm is Boston College’s Chris Lindstrom. On Day 1 of practice at the Senior Bowl, Lindstrom demonstrated the ability to anchor against defensive linemen who attempted to overpower and drive. Don’t be surprised if Lindstrom is one of the strongest offensive linemen in the entire draft, even with his 303-pound frame. OT Kaleb McGary Giorgio Tavecchio Jersey 2019 , Washington Trust me when I say that the Falcons will have a fairly talented pool of offensive linemen to choose from in this draft. It is quite possible they address the guard and right tackle position and McGary fits the bill at 6’6 and 321 pounds with big 10 2/8 inch hands. On occasion throughout the day, McGary was seen mauling defensive ends in 1-on-1 drills including Boston College’s Zach Allen, and pancaking a few defenders here and there. On film, McGary seen as a physical blocker, and that was definitely the case once again. WR Terry McLaurin, Ohio State Here is an interesting prospect that was not mentioned quite often by myself and for a few reasons. For one, wide receiver is also not a huge need for the Falcons, but one of consideration based on the possibility of veteran receiver Justin Hardy hitting free agency. It’s a possibility that the Falcons will take a late flyer on a receiver on Day 3 of the draft and if they do, McLaurin is intriguing. McLaurin showed off some speed that did not necessarily show on tape at times and hit 22 mph at one point during the practice. McLaurin showed some smoothness in his route running and his footwork looks very Black Logan Paulsen Jersey , very polished. This past season at Ohio State, McLaurin averaged 20 yards per reception and hauled in 11 touchdown receptions on just 35 catches. With a new offensive coordinator in Dirk Koetter that will almost certainly attack defenses vertically, a refined route runner with sneaky good speed can capture the Falcons’ eye to round out their receiving corps. Falcons linebacker Duke Riley had big shoes to fill coming out of LSU. Just one year removed from the role of college backup, Riley was frequently (and perhaps unfairly) compared to fellow LSU alum Deion Jones. Because of Jones’ success as a rookie in Dan Quinn’s defense, we assumed Riley could make a similarly successful transition to the NFL. We were wrong. Riley’s rookie campaign was ... lackluster. We’ve talked about this ad nauseum, and you’re likely familiar with the narrative: if Riley didn’t improve dramatically in 2018, he’d find himself on the bench. He didn’t. And he did. Riley actually regressed in 2018 and his PFF grades tell the story. He earned a PFF grade of 54.5 in 2017. His PFF grade precipitously dropped to 44.2 in 2018, 88th among LBs, making him “below average” according to their metrics. He earned a 30.4 grade against the run (94th among LBs) and a 57.6 grade in coverage (52nd among LBs). His best games came in week 7 (83 grade) and week 9 (82.7 grade) Logan Paulsen Jersey 2019 , while his worst games came in week 5 (27.5 grade) and week 10 (28.3 grade). Rookie linebacker Foye Oluokun outsnapped Riley for the first time in the week 6 game against the Buccaneers, one week after Riley’s worst game of the season. He apparently (after the coaching staff publicly called him out) got the message and played his best two games in weeks 7 and 9 before rapidly regressing to his mean. Riley’s issues aren’t the sort that are likely to improve with time. No one doubts his athleticism or speed; it’s his mental errors that drive us nuts. For whatever reason, things just won’t “click” for Riley. Riley has two years remaining on his rookie deal and he’s not out of chances yet. He remains an athletic, talented football player. But Oluokun established himself as a quality contributor in 2018, and if Riley wants to carve out a meaningful role in 2019, the clock is undoubtedly ticking.