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The Atlanta Falcons’ two primary wide receivers, Julio Jones and Mohamed Sanu, are tall, fleet and polished athletes who seem to glide beneath passes with a silky grace. Each was a high N.F.L. draft pick.

The New England Patriots’ leading receiver, Julian Edelman, and his four-year running mate at the position, Danny Amendola, are under 6 feet tall and less than speedy. Amendola was not drafted, and Edelman was one of the last players selected in the 2009 draft.

And yet, in the days leading up to Super Bowl LI here, New England’s two pocket-size receivers have garnered as much attention as Atlanta’s elite duo. The Falcons’ coaches could not stop talking about their fear of Edelman and Amendola.

“Those two guys are scary,” Atlanta Coach Dan Quinn said of Edelman, who is listed as 5 feet 10 but is probably at least an inch shorter, and of Amendola, who is only a tad taller.