FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. - Kendal Daniels sits next to Jack Strand in rookie meetings and sometimes he looks over at Strand's playbook and his eyes widen.
The Atlanta Falcons drafted Daniels, a linebacker out of Oklahoma, in the fourth round in April. A few hours later, the team put pen to paper on an undrafted rookie contract with Strand, a quarterback from Division II Minnesota State-Moorhead.
The two have had vastly different experiences so far. Daniels missed much of the spring with a calf injury and is now working his way back with the reserves. That doesn't sound atypical for a third-day pick.
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But Strand? Well, he's QB1.
That is not a misprint. After five days of training camp, the 6-foot-5, 240-pound from Bloomer, Wisconsin, took almost all of the quarterback reps with the Falcons' first-team offense.
"Man, as a linebacker, I could feel the stress of having to go out there with the [first-team] group, but as the quarterback, having to go out there and we just [re-signed] the best tight end in the league (Kyle Pitts) and then one of the best wide receivers in the league (Drake London)," Daniels said.... "I couldn't imagine being in his spot right now. I really couldn't."
It won't last forever. Quarterbacks Tua Tagovailoa (tight back) and Michael Penix Jr. (right knee) are working their way back from injuries. Veteran Cooper Rush, whom the Falcons signed last week after releasing third-stringer Trevor Siemian, is starting to get some first-team reps, as well. Rush has won nine games as an NFL starter.
Yet, for a moment in time, Strand is The Man under center for the Falcons. And he's done pretty well for himself given the circumstances.
Jack Strand has impressed with his arm and ability to pick up the playbook. AP Photo/Mike Stewart Over the first four practices, Strand is 21-of-31 passing in 11-on-11 team sessions. Pitts said he has been slowly taking charge in the huddle, adding some bass into his voice in recent days. London described him as a "tank," because of his statuesque physique. In any case, he has performed far better -- and gotten way more opportunities -- than anyone expected.
"My expectations were just whatever role that I was given on the team, whether that was going to be taking a few reps in practice or I was going to be taking the majority of reps in practice," Strand said. "Wherever that fell, my mentality was not going to change. It was just going to be keep attacking, keep getting better every day."