HYBRID: Is Kendal Daniels the Atlanta Falcons' SECRET WEAPON in the Tight End Arms Race?

Atlanta Falcons double down on defensive versatility with high-upside picks Kendal Daniels and Anterio Thompson. Could these fresh faces reshape the linebacker and defensive tackle units this season? Host Aaron Freeman digs into Daniels's hard-hitting, hybrid linebacker play at Oklahoma, exploring his fit in today's NFL and how his size, speed, and "cheetah" role experience could counter the league's tight end arms race. Special guest Jay Smith (Locked On Sooners) breaks down Daniels's growth under Brent Venables and his potential to become a difference-maker in Atlanta's evolving defense. Meanwhile, Roman Tomashoff (Locked On Huskies) gives the inside scoop on Thompson's unconventional college journey, elite run-stopping traits, and special teams upside on the Falcons’ defensive front. Can this rookie duo anchor a new era for Atlanta's defense ahead of training camp? #atlantafalcons #nfl #trainingcamp #nfldraft #2026nfldraft #kendaldaniels #anteriothompson #billybowman Photo Credit: Sarah Phipps - Imagn Images Follow & Subscribe on all Podcast platforms 🎧 https://lockedonpodcasts.com/podcasts/locked-on-falcons/ Locked On NFL League-Wide: Every Team, Fantasy, Draft, & More 🎧 https://lockedonpodcasts.com/leagues/nfl Become a Locked On Falcons Insider for in-depth analysis every day! https://joinsubtext.com/lockedonfalcons Join our Discord server! https://discord.gg/lockedonfalcons Everydayer Club If you never miss an episode, it’s time to make it official. Join the Locked On Everydayer Club and get ad-free audio, access to our members-only Discord, and more — all built for our most loyal fans. Click here to learn more and join your team’s community: https://lockedonfalcons.supercast.com/ Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! Square Get up to $200 off Square hardware when you sign up at https://square.com/go/lockedonnfl! #squarepod Betterhelp This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Sign up and get 10% off at http://BetterHelp.com/LOCKEDON. Gametime Today's episode is brought to you by Gametime. Download the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDON for $20 off your first purchase. Ultra Pouches Don’t sleep on Ultra Pouches. New customers get 15% Off with code LOCKEDONNFL at https://takeultra.com! #UltraPouches #ad Warby Parker Our listeners can buy one pair of glasses and get 20% off any additional pairs at https://WarbyParker.com/LOCKEDONNFL — and using our link helps support the show. #WarbyParker #ad Odoo Great organizations win because operations matter. And that’s why you should get Odoo. Try for free today at https://Odoo.com/lockedon. FanDuel Today's episode is brought to you by FanDuel. Join all the action at https://FANDUEL.COM to play Daily Dingers and make your free pick on who’s hitting a homer this MLB season. FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at https://sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit https://FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit https://ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit https://ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.