From the moment his name was called at the 2017 NFL Draft, it was clear that the Atlanta Falcons had selected a different kind of player.
Not different in an on-field context—he possesses those standout traits as well—but with the immense energy and passion that McKinley immediately introduced into an NFL franchise known more for its inconspicuous identity. The Mike Smith regime was marked by sort of a sleepy malaise, due in some part to the Falcons’ commitment to simply charting a steady course in the wake of the Mike Vick scandal and Bobby Petrino yellow-bellied cut-and-run.
The franchise needed stability.