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The Atlanta Falcons were able to get exceptional return on investment last season with linebackers Joplo Bartu and Paul Worrilow. Both went undrafted but ended up with 25 total starts and 212 total tackles.

2014 netted the Falcons an even better player in the seventh round with UConn linebacker Yawin Smallwood. Smallwood slid in the draft because he is less about the athlete and more about the football player. However, Bleacher Report’s own Ian Kenyon might have summed it up best:

Yawin Smallwood in Atlanta in the 7th was a steal. — Ian Kenyon (@IanKenyonNFL) May 19, 2014

With Atlanta moving to a 3-4 defense, Smallwood’s ability to stuff the run on the inside could give him an edge over more experienced players on the roster. Thus far at OTAs, Smallwood is transitioning to the speed and star power of the NFL. Here’s a great quote from Smallwood about his initial impressions, via CTnow.com:

It really hit me when I went in the locker room and I saw [wide receiver] Julio Jones. It hit me. I'm not star-struck are anything like that. I'm here for a purpose ... I'm ready to get to work try to land in the lineup.

If Falcons fans loved Curtis Lofton, they will really love Smallwood. He was a leader on the field at UConn, and according to Falcons head coach Mike Smith, per Vaughn McClure’s blog on ESPN.com, that will need to continue if he’s in the lineup:

Probably of all the positions on the defensive side that has the most on them are the two inside linebackers because they’ve got to do a lot of the communicating, as well as our safeties,” Smith said. “They did a good job with the communication. Again, we put a lot on them in three days. We’re trying to get these guys caught up as quickly as possible with the veterans so when we start our (organized team activities) a week from Tuesday, we want those guys to be caught up in terms of where we are in our installation with the veterans.

As the offseason progresses and Smallwood gets up to speed on the defense, expect him to continue to open eyes among the Atlanta coaches.