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I have to be honest with you: We're all guilty of hyping up undrafted free agent players who wind up not making much of an impact There are gems to be found, of course, and plenty of smart football minds who find them. Taking most of those evaluations with a grain of salt, whether they come from Mel Kiper or me, is a smart move.
The much-hyped Kevin White may wind up being one of those gems, though. I'll readily admit he was a player I watched a bit of film on without coming away overly impressed by anything but his coverage instincts, which are admittedly very good. I thought he had a shot to land on the practice squad, perhaps even a good one, but a roster spot seemed out of reach for a team that seems fairly well stocked with cornerbacks.
With the team's stated preference for competition and White's strong week, however, it's hard to argue against him having a legitimate shot. With Desmond Trufant sidelined, the rookie got in with the first team, and he earned quality snaps in the Titans game, where he was clearly a more polished product in coverage than fellow rookie (and second rounder) Jalen Collins. It was an impressive enough performance that I imagine he'll warrant another long look this week in practice, and certainly in the second preseason game against the Jets.
At this point, with Dezmen Southward scuffling a bit in his transition to cornerback and Jalen Collins clearly working his way to relevance, having a player like White who looks ready to contribute might make a real difference. I have little doubt that Collins will be a quality player over the long haul, but right now the Falcons' cornerback depth looks shakier than it did a couple of months ago. White might be the answer to that.
If the Falcons still like Dezmen Southward's long-term outlook, there's a better-than-decent chance he'll make the roster and White will hit the practice squad. Either way, though, it seems likely that White will be an Atlanta Falcon in 2015 if he just keeps his current pace going. We wish him luck.