The Atlanta Falcons' preseason opener against the Denver Broncos didn't go as planned. In front of nearly 70,000 home fans, the Falcons fell 27-7, with their only score of the game coming on a short goal-line rushing touchdown from undrafted rookie quarterback Jack Strand, a former Division II player. That result came even with most of the starters playing a good chunk of the game.
Atlanta's leading receiver was 28-year-old veteran Chris Blair, who appeared in just three games for the Falcons last year without recording a catch. He finished Friday's loss with two catches for 37 yards. As Atlanta begins ramping up for the regular season, the team has added a new name to the receiver room: former New York Giants wideout Beaux Collins.
Collins went undrafted out of Notre Dame in the 2025 NFL Draft but earned a spot on the Giants' 53-man roster, making him the only undrafted rookie free agent to make New York's final roster last year. His rookie season was cut short, however, after he was placed on injured reserve midseason with a neck injury, finishing with two catches on six targets for 25 yards across nine games. He was set to enter Year 2 with the Giants, but the team waived him with an injury settlement last week.
Now he's getting a second shot with another NFC franchise. More news: Falcons Get Michael Penix Jr Update as Tua Tagovailoa’s Debut Raises Questions More news: Jets Rookie Suffers Brutal Setback After Strong Preseason Debut At 6-foot-3 and 206 pounds, Collins has the size and length to be a legitimate red-zone threat at the NFL level, but Atlanta could be a tough place to find targets. Drake London is the Falcons' clear WR1, having drawn well over 100 targets in each of the last four seasons, including 158 in 2024.
Atlanta also signed former first-round pick Jahan Dotson and veteran Olamide Zaccheaus in March, then used a third-round pick on Georgia's Zachariah Brand in April's draft. Beyond that, there's still an opening for targets — but Collins will have to compete with a wave of other first- and second-year players just to make the final roster. More news: Giants Move Fast on New QB After Brandon Allen’s Rough Preseason Opener
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