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FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. -- The Atlanta Falcons were looking to add a pass rusher opposite of Vic Beasley in the draft. When they saw the pass rushers flying off the draft board, they made a move to trade up in the draft five spots to land Takkarist McKinley of UCLA.
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McKinley missed the offseason while recovering from shoulder surgery. He was cleared before the outset of training camp, but Falcons coach Dan Quinn slowly worked him back into the operation.
On a third-down in 11-on-11 in his first practice on Tuesday, he zoomed past starting left tackle Jake Matthews and sacked quarterback Matt Ryan.
The Falcons are hoping he has plenty more sacks in his 6-2, 250-pound frame.
"I'm back to football, back to what I love doing," McKinley said.
McKinley was selected 26th overall in the 2017 draft. He had surgery to repair a torn labrum and the glenoid socket in his right shoulder on March 6.
McKinley won over the fans with a passionate speech on draft night about how he wanted to honor his grandmother, who raised him. He was so emotional that he let loose with a few expletives.
After his first practice, McKinley had a long session with defensive line coach Bryant Young.
"We are just getting started with him," Quinn said. "We are anxious to put the work in over the next month."
While out and not allowed to attend OTAs or minicamp because of the NFL academic rules for schools on the quarter system, McKinley picked up the defensive scheme during his Facetime session with Young.
"Between him and Bryant Young, they did a good job together," Quinn said. "They had to put the work in. That was his way to show I'm committed and I'm in. ... Although there was some frustration about (not) playing, (he) could still do (his) part from a scheme standpoint. ... I have to commend him for putting in the work over the summer to get ready."
McKinley admitted that he had some butterflies in his stomach.
"I was nervous," McKinley said. "It was my first time in pads since November. To be able to go out there and play football again, felt real good."
McKinley wasn't perfect in his first practice.
"The biggest thing is to play fast," McKinley said. "I know coming out as a rookie that I'll make a few mistakes, but as long as I'm playing fast and hustling to the ball, I'll be good."
McKinley felt well about how he performed.
"Those were my first one-on-ones," McKinley said. "I was just trying to go with a bull rush and try to show of my strength and stuff like that. To be honest that might be my only rush so far, just to kind of help the shoulder feel better."
McKinley's knows there will be some adjustments to the NFL game.
"The tackles are bigger, stronger and more athletic," McKinley said. "They are faster. The game is faster.
"The quarterbacks ... you might have a freshman quarterback who takes his time at the line (in college), but in practice you are going against Matt Ryan and it's quick. In the NFL you've got Cam (Newton) and (Tom) Brady and whoever else. The games will go by much faster. It's all about knowing your plays, getting lined up and going."
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Falcons wide receiver Taylor Gabriel believes the team has moved past its collapse in Super Bowl LI.
"We had a team meeting before we came back and (coach Dan Quinn) told anybody has anything on your chest, get it off your chest right now," Gabriel said. "It was a group setting, and after that meeting our focus has been this year. I feel like everybody feels that way. At the end of the day, we have to move on."
Gabriel didn't speak up.
"I felt like there wasn't any need to say anything," Gabriel said. "We all came back. We were upset about the outcome. ... As long as we stay focused, we went to a Super Bowl last year so there was nothing we did wrong.
"If anything, I feel like it makes us hungrier."
Former heavyweight champion Evander Holyfield was at the Falcons' morning practice on Tuesday.
Falcons coach Dan Quinn is a big fight fan and had Holyfield break down the team after practice.
The players got a kick out of meeting Holyfiveld and took pictures with him.
NOTES: RB Devonta Freeman, who's hoping to sign a contract extension, reportedly has taken out a $10 million insurance policy. He's set to make $1.8 million in 2017. ... WR Julio Jones (foot surgery) remains limited in practice. He was catching passes along the sidelines on Tuesday. ... WR Devin Fuller sustained a torn ACL on Friday and is out for the season. He suffered the injury in a non-contact drill. Fuller, who was drafted in the seventh round out of UCLA last year, was placed on injured reserve last year after sustaining a shoulder injury during the exhibition season. ... CB Jalen Collins, who started in the Super Bowl, was working with the third-team defense on Tuesday. He was also on the special teams knit-cap/scout team. ... WRs Bra'Lon Cherry (North Carolina State) and WR Reginald Davis III (Texas Tech) signed with the Falcons on Friday.
