Hayden Hurst will thrive in the Atlanta Falcons offense

The Atlanta Falcons acquired tight end, Hayden Hurst, from the Baltimore Ravens on Monday, a move that should have both Hurst and Falcons fans very excited.

The Atlanta Falcons found a great player in Hayden Hurst. He wasn’t able to show much during his time with the Ravens given their offensive playstyle. He quickly fell down the depth chart, in part due to the emergence of tight end Mark Andrews. With the Atlanta Falcons, he will be able to prove that he is the first-round caliber talent that the Ravens drafted.

We all know Dirk Koetter loves to throw the ball, which means Hurst will be given plenty of opportunities. He will be the number one tight end option with the Atlanta Falcons, a position that, at South Carolina, he thrived in. During his three-year career with the Gamecocks, Hurst accumulated 1,281 yards and three touchdowns on 100 receptions.

Sure, the touchdown numbers aren’t pretty, but it is the Gamecocks we are talking about. They aren’t exactly known for their outstanding quarterback play, which makes these numbers even more impressive.

He was drafted in the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft by Ravens and was consistently underused throughout his two seasons with the team. Now that he is with the Atlanta Falcons, he will finally get the opportunity to show that he is an elite NFL caliber talent. With Matt Ryan throwing him the ball, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Hurst end up a pro-bowler by seasons end, just like Austin Hooper.

Let’s not forget that Hurst is a capable blocker as well, giving the Atlanta Falcons an extra boost in the run and pass blocking department, an area the team desperately needs a lot of help in after a disastrous 2019 campaign.

Overall, this was a great trade for the Atlanta Falcons. They received a tight end who has plenty of talent and potential and will most certainly make Ryan’s life a little easier with his blocking ability.

Now that the tight end position is filled, the organization can now focus on other needs along the offensive and defensive lines, as well as the running back and cornerback positions.