Atlanta Falcons: The franchise gets their Darren Sproles role player post draft
By Joe Beasley
The Atlanta Falcons might have pulled off one of the biggest undrafted free-agent steals in the NFL – Javian Hawkins was one of the most explosive players in college football this past season and he brings a lot to the table.
Everyone knew coming into the 2021 NFL draft that the Atlanta Falcons needed a running back. Even though they signed Mike Davis and planned on throwing Cordarrelle Patterson in the backfield, they still needed the elusive playmaker behind Matt Ryan.
Many fans were hoping that the franchise would grab a steal with Najee Harris, Travis Etienne, or Javonte Williams but those guys came and went while the Atlanta Falcons addressed other areas – much to the dismay of the fan base.
The Atlanta Falcons stable of running backs is very underrated.
The Falcons could have a legit three-headed monster with Mike Davis, Cordarrelle Patterson, and Qadree Ollison. Adding Hawkins gives them yet another dynamic player.
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Javian Hawkins could be a Darren Sproles-type player for the Atlanta Falcons.
Many will say that due to his small stature, Hawkins might not be able to handle playing at the NFL level. What he lacks in size, he makes up for in speed and agility. In 2019, Hawkins racked up 1,525 yards and nine touchdowns.
In eight games in 2020, Hawkins ran for 822 yards and seven touchdowns while averaging 6.2 yards a carry.
Hawkins will be a threat to take the ball to the house whenever he touches it. Despite playing only eight games in 2020, Hawkins still had touchdown runs of 70,75, and 90 yards.
There are very few players on any level that can claim that achievement.
While Hawkins wasn’t used a lot in the passing game at Louisville, the potential is there for Hawkins to be a pass-catching threat out of the backfield for the Atlanta Falcons. Hawkins also has the ability to be a return man at this level too, something he wasn’t able to showcase at Louisville due to carrying the team at points in the season.
The backfield is crowded in Atlanta, but the talent that Hawkins possesses can’t be ignored. He is a guy that can contribute to the Falcons in numerous ways without having to worry about it receiving the wear and tear of an every-down back.
The Atlanta Falcons could have something really special in Javian Hawkins.
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