5 THINGS WE LEARNED

1. McKinley isn’t shy

LB Takkarist McKinley isn’t too shy to talk about himself. “I’m relentless. I do have the best motor in this class. I’m just somebody that goes hard no matter what. If it’s a screen pass, I’m chasing you down.”

2. They draft starters

Before the 2016 NFL draft, Arthur Blank said he expected to get “at least” three starters out of the team’s five picks. Coach Dan Quinn and GM Thomas Dimitroff (above) met that goal by drafting three rookie starters who helped the team reach the Super Bowl. Dimitroff : “We believe we can get some starters out of this draft class as well.”

3. Intangibles important

Quinn and Dimitroff paid close attention to intangible qualities when they drafted and signed college players. “Given Dan Quinn’s system and the ‘Brotherhood,’ it’s very, very important for us that we are getting the right kind of teamconcept players and we’re confident that we’ve figured that out,” Dimitroff said.

4. New role for RB Hill

Quinn likes what he sees in rookie RB Brian Hill (above) out of Wyoming.“No. 1 is just the size. You can feel that right away. He’s got the ability to make one cut and get vertical. We were happy with him coming out of the backfield (on pass plays) . ... I saw him really bust it on special teams. That really has to be a part of his role.”

5. Finding spot for Kazee

The Falcons selected Damontae Kazee in the fifth round and said he would play nickel back and safety. That means he will get the chance to compete with Brian Poole (the nickel back in 2016) and Kemal Ishmael (the backup free safety last season). Kazee played cornerback at San Diego State, where he was named the Mountain West defensive player of the year in 2015 and 2016. His 40-yard time of 4.54 seconds at the combine was mediocre for his position. But Kazee’s awareness and ball skills could make him a good fit as a slot cornerback or safety in Quinn’s defense.