When the Falcons drafted Justin Hardy, they understood that patience would be key to his development. He hadn’t worried much about a playbook in college; now, in the NFL, he’s expected to understand Kyle Shanahan’s scheme like the back of his hand.
It took some time for him to get to that point. Hardy sat out the first seven regular season games in 2015, gradually getting up to speed. But when the Falcons activated Hardy, it became clear why they wanted to invest a fourth-round pick in the East Carolina product: he was consistent, he recorded first downs on more than half his receptions and was an aggressive blocker.