There are certain players rookies might be scared to go against in practice; without a doubt, the Atlanta Falcons' are Bijan Robinson and Drake London.
But that isn't the case for mid-round pick and linebacker Kendal Daniels. The fast-rising rookie has made his impact felt and isn't scared to let the team's superstars know he is also a professional athlete with the potential to be a star of his own.
Kendal Daniels talks trash to Bijan Robinson & Drake London. He yells so loudly in celebration it’s audible from the sideline. He’s currently the green dot of an NFL defense.
— Daniel Flick (@ByDanielFlick) August 19, 2026
And he’s excelling.
“I think he’s got the ability to play and contribute early.”https://t.co/gY9zoEjIEm
If you just entered the NFL, how scared would you be to talk trash to the NFL's best running back and one of the best wide receivers? Probably pretty scared.
The fact that he isn't afraid to talk trash to the quiet and humble Robinson, as well as the fiery London, speaks volumes about his confidence. It has never been clearer that this kid could be heading toward stardom as soon as this season.
Kendal Daniels continues to be all the talk of the Atlanta Falcons' offseason
Daniels had a strong debut in the preseason. He made his mark known by flying around the football field, looking like the second coming of De'Vondre Campbell. Granted, there were some small coaching points that Jeff Ulbrich should focus on, like better hand usage at the line, but he is ahead of schedule.
The Dirty Birds could use his services, with the linebacker position being an unknown. Divine Deablo is the only certainty after Kaden Elliss' departure. There is a spot open for the former Oklahoma Sooner.
The fact that he is already taking on the green-dot role speaks volumes about the confidence the coaches already have.
There is one thing I keep thinking of when thinking about Daniels, as well as Harold Perkins Jr.: the 2016 rookie linebacker duo of the aforementioned Campbell and Deion Jones.
Immediately during that Super Bowl season, the rookie duo broke out as high-impact players. Doesn't it feel like Daniels is Campbell and Perkins Jr. is Jones? The former is a big, athletic 'backer, while the latter is a safety-esque playmaker.
Now, I don't know if this year's duo will see the field quite as much as the two from a decade ago, but they are starting to force their coaches to throw them into the fire.
It will be interesting to see how the two develop over the next two preseason games. Both are expected to get heavy workloads to show off.
All in all, we are finding out quickly that the Falcons landed an uber-confident defender in Daniels who has won the offseason.
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