Falcons TE Jaeden Graham making his case for the 53-man roster

The Falcons surprised quite a few people when they traded away Eric Saubert earlier in the preseason. Many fans speculated that this meant the team would roll with Austin Hooper, Luke Stocker and Logan Paulsen. However, one name has stood out in camp and he’s been making a hard push for consideration as the third tight end on the 53-man roster: Jaeden Graham.

So long as his injury against Washington isn’t too serious, Graham has shown he’s already a more reliable receiver than Saubert was in his 2 seasons with the team. On Thursday night, the team put Graham out there with the first team offense. Unfortunately, he also left the game with an injury, and the severity of that injury should determine whether he makes this team.

He played at tight end and fullback after Ricky Ortiz left the game with an injury. This is significant, as it shows the team believes Graham can contribute at this level. The fact that they’re trying him at fullback is a key sign that they want to give him every opportunity to work his way onto the 53-man roster, and with Luke Stocker also mixing in at fullback, it signals that the Falcons may not carry a “true” fullback in 2019.

It’s important to remember that Graham stayed on the team’s practice squad for the entire 2018 season after having a strong preseason as a rookie. He’s shown incredible development in camp and it has transferred to the preseason games as well.

Let’s hope that injury isn’t serious, because Graham is legitimately in contention for a spot on the roster.