FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. -- Take one look at Atlanta Falcons rookie tight end Joshua Simon, and you'd be forgiven for thinking he was an early-round pick in the 2025 NFL draft.
A glance at Simon's production -- he caught 40 passes for 519 yards and seven touchdowns, becoming the first tight end in the University of South Carolina's history to lead the team in all three categories -- validates any initial optimism.
Yet Simon, who stands 6' 4" and 240 pounds, has long arms at 33 7/8-inches, big hands at 10 1/8-inches and ran a 4.65 40-yard dash at the NFL combine, didn't get drafted in April. The Falcons agreed to terms with him as an undrafted free agent roughly half an hour after the draft ended.
Falcons tight ends coach Kevin Koger told Atlanta Falcons on SI he was surprised Simon went undrafted.
"I think the world of Josh," Koger said Wednesday. "You watch this guy's tape, and he's a guy that's about 6'5, 240, ran 4.6, long arms. So, you look at those things, and you're like, 'Okay, in terms of height, weight, speed, he's a guy that that matches up comparatively to the guys already in the NFL, man.'"
Once the draft concluded on the evening of April 26, Koger was sitting with his fellow assistant coaches when it came to his attention Simon was available. Intrigued by Simon's upside, Koger wanted the deal done -- and the Falcons' front office delivered.
"That's definitely a guy you want in the room," Koger said. "That you're able to bring in and develop and mold into a player that he could potentially be."
The 24-year-old Simon played in 64 games across six college seasons, the first four of which came at Western Kentucky University. He was an All-Conference USA honorable mention in 2019 and 2020, suffered a season-ending knee injury in the 2021 season opener. He responded with a second-team All-Conference USA campaign in 2022.
Simon transferred to South Carolina in 2023, and he won the Gamecock Toughness Award at the end-of-season banquet. He made four starts in 12 games, finishing third on the team with 28 receptions and fourth with 256 receiving yards, while his two touchdown catches tied for the second-most.
A native of Dalzell, South Carolina, Simon saved his best college season for his last. He caught a pass in every game, set career highs in receptions, receiving yards and touchdowns and was the co-winner of South Carolina's Overcoming Adversity Award.
Simon finished his collegiate career with 154 catches for 1,921 yards and 24 touchdowns.
"He's an athlete, and that's why he had a good college career," Koger said. "You turn the tape on, you're like, 'Yeah, I think it's a no-brainer that we brought him here.' So that was a great job by our front office identifying him, bringing him in and getting that deal."
The Falcons' tight ends weren't overly productive in the pass game in 2024. Kyle Pitts tied for 21st in the league with 47 catches, while his 602 receiving yards ranked 13th. Charlie Woerner and Ross Dwelley, both of whom are known more for blocking than catching passes, combined for eight receptions for 51 yards.
In all, the trio caught 55 passes for 653 yards, giving Atlanta the NFL's eighth-least productive tight end room.
Pitts and Woerner are both back in the mix, while Dwelley signed with the San Francisco 49ers in free agency. Atlanta reunited with Feleipe Franks, a special teams ace who spent 2024 with the Carolina Panthers, and Teagan Quitoriano, a block-first player in Dwelley's mold. The Falcons also signed Nikola Kalinic to a reserve/futures contract.
Thus, Simon is one of six tight ends currently on the team's roster. Pitts and Woerner are effective roster locks, while Franks's special teams value gives him an inside track to a roster spot. The Falcons only carried three tight ends on their roster for much of 2024, though they have more competition at the position in 2025.
Simon's path to a roster spot won't be easy -- he's in a deep room, and the odds of undrafted free agents making the team out of camp aren't substantial. But his athleticism and pass catching skill set gives him a shot to make plays this summer and validate his case for a bid.
And the Falcons believe Simon can turn the disappointment of a draft day gone wrong into a future full of plays.
"I know obviously everybody wants to be drafted, but we were all excited for him to be there after the draft," Koger said. "Being able to supplement him into the room, I think that'll be ideal for us."