Brian Poole went from undrafted free agent to camp body to depth to key contributor for the 2016 Falcons. Now he’s fending off competitors for his starting spot.
The University of Florida product didn’t hear his name called in the 2016 NFL draft, but familiarity with Dan Quinn, once his defensive coordinator in Gainesville, prompted a reunion. Poole fought his way into the nickel spot, going from afterthought to accumulating snaps on a Super Bowl team.
As another athletic, versatile piece of Quinn’s defensive unit, Poole will see time at cornerback and safety in 2017.
“Wherever the team needs me at,” he said. “That’s not really my call. My job is to come out and execute wherever they put me. I just want to polish up on, you know, every aspect of my game. Really just put it all together.”
Scouting reports hammered Poole’s size, tackling ability, speed and his general physical tools. His size was a legitimate red flag: 5-foot-9, 210 pounds. He was under the radar in part because of Florida’s unparalleled secondary depth, featuring 2016 first-round picks Vernon Hargreaves III and Keanu Neal.
Poole made an unexpected uptick from the moment he hit the practice field, according to his head coach. He won Quinn over in camp, earning first-team reps at the start of August.
Quinn lauded Poole’s technique and competitiveness out of the gate.
“I knew Poole was going to be amongst us when in training camp I saw him counting in line, not for who he didn’t want to go against, but because he wanted to go against Julio (Jones),” Quinn said during his coach’s show last November. “… That told me right then and there the competitor that he is. As opposed to backing off, he wanted to go challenge it. I’m not saying he went up there and stoned him. However, it spoke a lot to the confidence that he had in himself to say ‘I want to try it against the best.’”
To say he outperformed the minimal expectations of an undrafted rookie is an understatement. Poole played in all 16 games, starting nine (two in the playoffs). He racked up 59 tackles, one sack and 10 deflections. He recorded his lone interception in the Falcons’ 33-16 win at Carolina.
In 25 blitzes, Poole led all corners with 11 quarterback pressures, according to Pro Football Focus.
Similar to a year ago, Poole finds himself in competition again. But this time it’s not for a roster spot. This time, he’s considered the front-runner.
With Desmond Trufant and Robert Alford holding outside positions, Poole is expected to start in the slot. His chief competition is Jalen Collins, a 2015 second-round pick. Poole’s opportunity last season came in part because of Collins’ four-game suspension to open the campaign.
With OTAs wrapped up, Poole is hosting his first annual football camp in Bradenton, Fla., on June 16.
“Camp went well,” Poole said. “I feel like we all got better. We all came out and competed. We just upheld the standard.”
