Atlanta's offensive success in 2016 wasn't hinged on the play of the starting 11 -- the role players proved to be significant contributors.
The receiver depth was perhaps one of the many reasons why the unit presented many challenges for defensive coordinators to game plan against.
The Falcons scored 63 regular-season touchdowns, 23 of them coming from their receiver group. Of those 23 touchdowns, 13 of those came from players other than Julio Jones and Mohamed Sanu, Atlanta's No. 1 and 2 receivers.
The full breakdown:
Taylor Gabriel – 7
Julio Jones – 6
Mohamed Sanu – 4
Justin Hardy – 4
Aldrick Robinson – 2
Gabriel made a splash in his first season as a Falcon while Hardy continued to be a reliable player in his second year, making key plays at important times.
Hardy's development since his arrival in Atlanta has caught the attention of his position coach, Raheem Morris. The former ECU standout caught 21 passes for 203 yards last season.
"I'm really proud of how Hardy has developed throughout the process of being here," Morris said. "He's going to be one of those guys to get big time opportunities to get out there when he can."
With Jones, Sanu, Gabriel and Hardy all returning, there's reason to believe the group will be could be even more productive in the upcoming season, with Hardy playing a key role in that success.
