For as impressive as Jack Strand was in the Atlanta Falcons' preseason victory over the Indianapolis Colts on Saturday, it would be wrong to act like he's been the only rookie turning heads. And it would be even more of a lie to pretend he's the only undrafted rookie making the most of preseason reps.
The possibilities are endless, since the Falcons have found their fair share of gems on the UDFA market, but one of the most impressive was someone catching passes from Strand. Rookie receiver Vinny Anthony II has been turning heads all offseason, but his roster hopes are looking pretty strong.
In the 34-6 victory over the Colts, Anthony tied fellow UDFA Cash Jones for the team-high with four receptions, while his 43 receiving yards were second-most behind Jones. This means that he took advantage of the added reps to out-perform the other players involved in the Falcons' WR6 battle.
Vinny Anthony II is making a late push to make the Falcons' Week 1 roster
It sure looks like the 23-year-old is making a late push to crack the roster--which is a good sign considering the receiver battle is nearing its end. And he's even getting endorsements from Falcons beat reporters, as Atlantafalcons.com's Will McFadden gave him an endorsement, labeling him as someone firmly in the mix for one of those roster spots.
"Vinny Anthony II has put together a nice stretch of practices recently," McFadden tweeted. "There is a competition to build out the depth in the Falcons' WR room, and he's firmly in the mix. Also has great return ability, which helps his case.
Here's what we need to realize: while he's been particularly impressive in recent sessions, he's impressed all summer, as he's one of the team leaders in receptions in training camp--and that's a leaderboard you don't often see an undrafted wideout near the top of. Let's give the kid some credit.
As McFadden mentioned, the Wisconsin product's other saving grace is his return ability. He returned three kicks for 90 yards in his NFL debut and has consistently been involved in the return man rotation. So the fact he's turning heads on both offense and special teams must count for something.
If you know me, I have been on the Vinny Anthony II hype train since May. He's a receiver Kevin Stefanski can use creatively, as lining him up out wide and in the backfield. You add in the special teams value, and he's more worth using a roster spot on than Dylan Drummond or Juice Wells Jr.
Right now, it feels like Chris Blair is the favorite for the WR5 position, but Vinny Anthony II is positioning himself as a key player to be the WR6. He's done everything you want to see from an undrafted receiver, so his performance against the Colts only added fuel to his late roster push.
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