Alabama DB DeMarcco Hellams lands with Falcons in Round 7
Former Alabama defensive back DeMarcco Hellams has been drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in the seventh round (No. 224 overall) of the 2023 NFL Draft. That means the rookie will be playing only about 200 miles east from where he was a standout in Tuscaloosa.
With Hellams off the board, Alabama has now seen ten of its players drafted through the first 225 picks. That’s the most of any program in the country. In addition to Hellams, that list includes three first-round picks, a second-round pick, four third-round picks and a fifth-round pick. Here are the names so far:
- QB Bryce Young – Panthers (No. 1)
- EDGE Will Anderson – Texans (No. 3)
- RB Jahmyr Gibbs – Lions (No. 12)
- DB Brian Branch – Lions (No. 45)
- OL Tyler Steen – Eagles (No. 65)
- DL Byron Young – Raiders (No. 70)
- DB Jordan Battle – Bengals (No. 95)
- TE Cameron Latu – 49ers (No. 101)
- LB Henry To’oTo’o – Texans (No. 167)
Over his four seasons at Alabama, Hellams started 28 games while playing 2,143 defensive snaps, including a career-high 903 in 2022. His 108 tackles this past season led the team, and he produced 255 total over the course of his career. He also added 7.5 tackles, 2.5 sacks, four interceptions and 13 pass breakups.
Hellams brings good size (6-foot-1, 203 pounds) and plenty of physicality to the back half of the defense. He was a lot more effective playing what was in front of him and working his way downhill, but he’s got adequate straight-line speed (4.57 40-yard dash). His agility and short-area quickness leave something to be desired though.
I’d expect Hellams to be a key special teams contributor to start his career.
Coming out of DeMatha Catholic High School in Hyattsville (Md.) in 2019, Hellams was rated as a four-star recruit. He also checked in as the No. 89 player nationally, No. 10 safety and No. 3 player from the state of Maryland, according to the 2019 On3 Industry Rankings.
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