Jack Velling’s NFL career has hit its first speed bump.
Following a somewhat underwhelming two-year career at Michigan State, Velling went undrafted and was then signed to the Atlanta Falcons’ practice squad after a strong preseason showing.
On Tuesday, however, he was let go by the Falcons.
Velling will now hope to catch on with another practice squad, but we have to remember that he is just a rookie and this isn’t the end of the line for him. He’s going to get another opportunity elsewhere because he’s just too talented to pass up for a practice squad spot, at least.
There was a point in time that Velling was considered a top NFL draft prospect at tight end, but his two inconsistent seasons at Michigan State changed that.
The NFL talent is there, he just needs an opportunity.
Jack Velling is yet another mishandled Jonathan Smith product
The number of talented players to come through East Lansing and then get better after leaving over the past 5-6 years is growing by the day. I’m not saying that Velling “got better” but he did play well enough to sign with the Falcons’ practice squad and there were whispers of him making the 53-man roster at one point in the preseason.
He’s one of those “what could have been” players who, under a different coaching staff, probably would have become a star and fan favorite in East Lansing.
Instead, his 700-plus receiving yards came during one of the most forgettable eras of Michigan State football in program history. He put up some decent numbers but he was just never on the same page with Aidan Chiles consistently. Their lack of a connection was dumbfounding considering they had familiarity coming to MSU together from Oregon State.
Velling didn’t meet expectations and lost out on getting drafted because of it.
Talent was never the issue with Velling. It was all sort of a mental thing with him. He struggled with his confidence as he tried to get on the same page as Chiles and fans were pretty hard on him given the expectations placed upon him when he transferred to Michigan State.
Velling will now hope to have the same luck as former Michigan State and Falcons teammate Nate Carter who was cut by the Falcons and then signed with the Kansas City Chiefs’ practice squad.
Add us as a preferred source on Google