Jack Velling’s strong preseason has him in the mix for a spot on the Falcons’ roster

Although the Jonathan Smith era was rather forgettable, it still produced some talent despite the draft classes not reflecting much of that.

One player who was expected to be a superstar in East Lansing was Jack Velling who transferred to Michigan State from Oregon State. When Smith left Corvallis, Velling followed and he was expected to be one of the best tight ends in the country as a preseason Mackey Award watch list selection.

Although he never really lived up to the hype (not totally his fault, but we’ll get to that later), he was still one of the top weapons in Michigan State’s offense.

Now, he’s fighting for one of the final roster spots with the Atlanta Falcons.

On Saturday, he made one final pitch to the coaching staff that he belongs in the NFL, catching four passes for 30 yards, including his first pro touchdown.

According to some Falcons writers, Velling is projected to just miss the cut although he’s directly in the mix for the final tight end spot with Nick Muse.

Even if he doesn’t make the initial 53-man roster with the Falcons, he’s going to be one of the top practice squad candidates. This could put him in a really good spot for a mid-season call-up.

Velling likely isn’t going to make the 53-man roster on Sunday’s cut day, but he will play in the NFL at some point this season. He’s been too good over the past couple of weeks to not at least get a chance.

Jack Velling’s Spartan career was a roller-coaster

After scoring eight touchdowns with over 430 receiving yards as a sophomore with Oregon State, Velling only had one score and just over 400 yards with a career-best 36 catches as a junior.

Velling’s NFL draft stock was on the line during his senior season, but he never seemed to be on the same page as Aidan Chiles and his numbers plateaued. He finished with just 359 yards and three touchdowns on 36 catches again. No one truly believed that he was solely responsible for the dip in production, but rather it was shaky quarterback play and poor play-calling.

While he didn’t live up to the transfer hype in East Lansing, he was still a fan favorite as everyone was kind of just waiting for him to break out. He had some flashes, but it just wasn’t consistent.

Velling still had 72 catches as a Spartan to go along with 770 yards. Were the expectations placed on him before he ever suited up for the Spartans unfair? Probably.

Again, it wasn’t his fault that the offense was always so disjointed.

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