Takkarist McKinley appears to be healthy enough to play Sunday

If you’ve been waiting to see Takkarist McKinley play his first game in a Falcons uniform, you got some good news today. Dan Quinn told reporters that McKinley has made enough progress to be in play for Sunday’s tilt against the Steelers.

As I’ve noted before, I’m leery of putting McKinley at risk for preseason, but I’m also very excited to see what he can bring to the table. The more snaps he gets in live game action, the better adjusted he’ll be for the season opener, and it at least slightly increases the chances that he’ll be an immediate impact player for a Falcons defense that could really use it. With Quinn also praising McKinley’s run defense to this point, it’s possible Takk will assert himself as Vic Beasley’s bookend early.

Of course, I’m getting way ahead of myself. Expect 10-20 snaps for Takk if he does indeed play, and hopefully a glimpse of the talent that made him the Falcons’ first round pick this year. May he stay healthy and impress.

In other injury news, Julio Jones is out Sunday, while Taylor Gabriel might suit up. The smart money is on Julio and Devonta Freeman sitting out the rest of preseason, as it should be.