Jack Velling is making a real push for a spot on the Falcons’ roster, and his preseason finish gave Atlanta one more reason to keep him in the conversation.
On Saturday, Velling delivered his strongest case yet. He caught four passes for 30 yards and scored his first pro touchdown, a timely moment as roster decisions loom.
Cooper Rush ➡️ Jack Velling for the TD
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- NFL (@NFL) August 29, 2026
Some Falcons writers have Velling just on the outside looking in, but he’s still squarely in the battle for the final tight end spot with Nick Muse. Even if he doesn’t land on the initial 53-man roster when cut day arrives Sunday, he appears to be one of the leading candidates for the practice squad. That could leave him positioned for a midseason promotion if Atlanta needs him.
The sense around Velling is pretty simple: he has done enough over the last couple of weeks to earn another look. A spot on the 53-man roster may be a long shot, but the idea that he’ll be in an NFL game this season feels very much alive.
His path here has been uneven. Velling arrived at Michigan State from Oregon State with plenty of buzz after following Jonathan Smith from Corvallis, where he was viewed as one of the country’s top tight ends and landed on the preseason Mackey Award watch list. The production never fully matched the expectations in East Lansing, though he still remained one of the Spartans’ better offensive options.
As a sophomore at Oregon State, Velling posted eight touchdowns and more than 430 receiving yards. His junior year dipped to one touchdown and just over 400 yards, even though he set a career high with 36 catches. Then came his senior season, when the draft-stock pressure was on and the numbers flattened again: 359 yards and three touchdowns on 36 receptions.
The story in East Lansing wasn’t really about one player failing to deliver. Velling’s numbers were shaped by shaky quarterback play and poor play-calling, and he never seemed fully synced with Aidan Chiles. He flashed enough to keep people waiting for the breakout, but consistency never really came.
Still, he finished his Spartan career with 72 catches, 770 yards and the kind of reputation that made fans keep believing something bigger was coming.
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