The Atlanta Falcons need to pay close attention at the HBCU combine

It’s no secret that the Atlanta Falcons need to add quite a bit of talent and depth to the 2020 roster if they are going to bounce back from back-to-back losing seasons.

The NFL announced the first-ever HBCU combine will take place March 27th through the 29th and it would be in the Atlanta Falcons best interest to pay attention. The Falcons can ill afford to not look at every person that could help this franchise and as we have seen throughout NFL history, talent is found at all levels.

There have been a ton of players that often get overlooked because they didn’t play football for one of the blue-bloods in college football. Some of these players who go to these schools chose to do so for many reasons, such as family lineage or they weren’t able to get noticed coming out of high school like other athletes.

For a period of time in the late ’60s and early ’70s, some of the best talent in the league came from HBCU’s but all of that came to an end once schools started to integrate schools more which meant that those black players that once dominated HBCU’s were now going to more big-time college programs.

There have many players who went to schools like  Alabama, Michigan, USC and Florida State who many consider being can’t miss prospects only for them to fizzle out once they get in the league. Some of the greatest players of all-time attended HBCU’s like Jerry Rice and Walter Payton. Former NFL MVP Steve McNair was a high draft pick and played at one of the better HBCU programs in Alcorn State.

The Falcons should not be a team to shy away and not pay attention to this event, especially since one of the best players to ever play in Atlanta was a product of an HBCU. Claude Humphrey attended Tennessee State and ended up being not only one of the best players in the history of the franchise but is also a Hall of Famer.

The Atlanta Falcons shouldn’t go down to the combine expecting to find the next Shannon Sharpe or Robert Mathis, but they should keep their eyes open and have an open mind or else they could possibly miss out on a diamond in the rough.