FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. -- Atlanta Falcons defensive coordinator Marquand Manuel marveled over the transformation Keanu Neal, Deion Jones, and De'Vondre Campbell all have undergone in just one year.
The 2016 first-, second-, and fourth-round picks were a big reason why the defense experienced a resurgence this season, finishing in the top 10 in scoring defense (19.7 points per game) and total defense (318.4 yards per game) for the first time since the 1998 Super Bowl team.
"We've talked about this, maybe about four weeks ago: We had a collective conversation about experience," Manuel said.