FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — It’s sort of eerie, really. Duke Riley followed almost the exact same path as Deion Jones at LSU, and now he’s trying to do the same with the Atlanta Falcons.
Both were reserves and special teams demons for the first three seasons of their LSU careers. Then, each blossomed into one of the best linebackers in the SEC as a senior – Jones in 2015, Riley in 2016 – and became second-day draft picks by the Falcons.
Riley now is in the same position as Jones was last year at this time: Trying to make a good impression on Atlanta coach Dan Quinn during Falcons rookie mini-camp.