Falcons DB DeMarcco Hellams emerges as starter in secondary

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. – When the Atlanta Falcons’ first-team defense took to IBM Performance Field on Monday, DeMarcco Hellams took his place as one of the two starting guards, joining All-Pro selection Jessie Bates III.

At that point, Hellams’s mind was focused on the actions of Kirk Cousins ​​and Atlanta’s offense, not on the career progression he had made in about 10 months.

Last July, during the Falcons’ stages of training camp, Hellams, then a seventh-round rookie, worked with the third-string defense. He was fighting for a roster spot in hopes of becoming the team’s No. 4 safety.

A strong preseason sparked by a team-high 18 tackles and two interceptions helped Hellams achieve this feat. An even stronger regular season helped solidify the opportunity to begin his second professional campaign.

Now, Hellams, 24, plans to turn a year full of lessons into one filled with highlights.

“Last year, I just saw what the league was doing — getting my feet wet as far as special teams, a little bit on defense toward the end of the year,” Hellams said. “I just want to go into this year, all the learning curves, I feel like I got them out of the way in the first year.

“So going into this year, I feel like I’m becoming a bigger, stronger, faster player.”

Despite leading Alabama with 108 tackles in 2022, Hellams fell to the Falcons at No. 224 overall. During the first 10 weeks of his professional career, the Washington, D.C. native played very little defense, failing to eclipse 20 snaps in a game.

He saw plenty of special teams action, including playing at least 75 percent of Atlanta’s snaps in Weeks 6-8, and finished the season at 55 percent.

But Hellams’ defensive fortunes turned after the Falcons’ bye in Week 11. The defensive team, then led by coordinator Ryan Nielsen, wanted to run more three-safety looks, and Hellams teamed up with Bates and Richie Grant to run the package.

After the bye week, Hellams played at least 50 percent of the defensive snaps in each of his last six appearances, making four lousy starts. As his role grew, Grant’s diminished; In Weeks 15-17, Hellams was on the field for 183 snaps, compared to Grant’s 65.

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Hellams’ season ended prematurely, as he missed Week 18 due to the concussion protocol, and he finished his rookie campaign with 40 tackles, one tackle for loss and one quarterback hit.

But Hellams added something else to his resume: quality film that impressed new defensive coordinator Jimmy Lake this spring.

Lake, now four months into his tenure with the Falcons, believes the 6-foot-1, 213-pound Hellams has the tools to be a building block of Atlanta’s defense.

“Coming off last year’s film, you saw a physical player,” Lake told SI’s AllFalcons on May 22. “A guy who likes to tackle and is really one of the pillars of how we want to play – we want to play fast, we want to play free, we want to play physical, and he plays physical, for sure.

During his time at Alabama, Hellams earned the nickname “Hitman”, an ode to his overwhelming successes. He’s well-regarded as a run defender, but was useful against the pass, allowing just 8.8 yards per reception on 19 targets last season, according to Pro Football Reference.

Physicality has long been the calling card of Hellams, who Bates says wants to hit people right now but can’t due to OTA operating procedures.

Yet Hellams’ game isn’t all about hard hits.

Falcons secondary coach Justin Hood, who joined the organization in February after three years with the Green Bay Packers, was quick to point out the caliber of player Hellams and the experiences he has accumulated since his years of university.

But what makes Hellams particularly impressive starts from the neck down and has little to do with his physical tools.

“Marcco is extremely intelligent,” Hood told SI’s AllFalcons on Wednesday. “Marcco is extremely consistent in his approach and his work ethic. So that’s what we really appreciate about him. You can see his growth, not only on the football field, but in his preparation and in the meeting room .

“You can see him starting to come out of his shell a little bit more, so that’s encouraging to see.”

Falcons assistant head coach and defensive end Jerry Gray said Hellams is “stepping up” and doing a great job this summer, just continuing the positive momentum he generated to close out last season.

This spring, Hellams got his first chance to take a step back in nearly 18 months. He spent his free time playing basketball alongside several other Falcons defensive backs, including Clark Phillips III and Natrone Brooks, at Gray’s request.

The course of a rookie season is preceded by a final college go-around, an extensive pre-draft process and a long summer during which rookies learn schemes, catch up with veterans and , in Hellams’ case, are fighting for a job.

Basketball offered a chance to escape. Back in Flowery Branch, a refreshed Hellams feels at home.

“The second time around, I’m more comfortable with the process,” Hellams said. “I don’t have to do a lot of the things that rookies have to do as far as meetings and that kind of thing. So, it’s been really good going into my second year, just being in the building , to know what is happening and what to expect.”

Not everything is new for Hellams. In reality, it’s quite different – from Lake’s defense to Hood’s teaching and everything in between.

But Bates saw Hellams embrace the change in the midst of a strong, development-filled offseason.

“Marcco did a really good job,” Bates said. “I always told Marcco that he has no problem playing football, seeing it and feeling it. The most important thing I saw is that he understands the playbook of game and just be able to say, ‘Oh, that’s the same thing as what we have.’ worked last year,” or being able to just process routes and stuff like that.

“I can see the improvement and growth he’s making as a player and as a person, so it’s really cool to see.”

Hellams’ growth is no secret. He put his head down and worked, often ending individual practice periods drenched in sweat, according to Hood.

Physical tools are one thing. Alabama’s pedigree is another. But Hellams embraced them with a desire to improve, and he reaped the rewards this offseason.

“He works hard,” Hood said. “So you can appreciate that about him as well and you’re happy to see that growth. Some of his work in the meeting room and on the football field and individual, all those little things are starting to propel him. He’s making some progress on the training ground.”

The Falcons completed OTAs on Thursday and will finish this phase of the summer with a mandatory minicamp June 10-12 before taking a break until training camp begins in late July.

Training camp marks the start of real football, when the Hellams will be able to hit others again. For now, he’s content to learn and keep his arrow pointing upward, as he has since entering the starting lineup in early December.

Hellams’ stock with the Falcons hasn’t been higher than it currently is. He’s made a big impression on Atlanta’s new defensive team with his stellar spring, and he’ll enter camp as the favorite to start alongside Bates in Week 1.

We’re a long way from fighting for the last safe spot, but it now seems like a footnote in a story that’s still being told.

“This offseason he’s made a lot of plays so far,” Lake said. “And he’s just got to keep progressing — which I know he will — and keep growing. I like where he’s at right now.”

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