'He Was Really Good': JD Bertrand's Rookie Year Has Falcons Optimistic

When Atlanta Falcons linebacker Kaden Elliss thinks about the qualities that make rookies immediately successful, he thinks about JD Bertrand.

A fifth-round pick in 2024, Bertrand played in 12 games during his rookie season. He didn't start; he played only 19% of Atlanta's defensive snaps when he was active on gamedays; he missed three games due to a concussion and another with an eye injury.

But there's more to Bertrand than the stat sheet shows.

"From the very first moment he came in, he didn't seem like a rookie mentally," Elliss said during OTAs. "He was smart. He picked it up quick. He was asking very detailed questions that (you) normally only hear vets ask, or nobody in the room asked because they didn't think about it."

Elliss, who's entering his seventh NFL season, said everyone from long-standing veterans to undrafted rookie free agents have talent. What separates those who make it from those who don't, he says, is the ability to process the game fast enough to let that talent show.

Bertrand quickly checked that box, and he delivered promising flashes when opportunities came -- though that wasn't often. He joined an inside linebacker room with a well-established trio at the top in Elliss, Troy Andersen and Nate Landman.

Special teams gave Bertrand his best path to playing time, and he finished the season with four tackles on special teams -- tied for the fifth-most on the team -- while playing 75.8% of the snaps in the game's third phase.

Bertrand was the only Falcons rookie who played in the first four weeks of the 2024 season, and along with then-backup quarterback Michael Penix Jr., he was one of only two rookies to be active in each of the first four regular season games.

Defensive snaps came in spurts. With both Andersen and Landman missing Atlanta's Week 5 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Bertrand was on the field for a career-high 38 plays. He made five tackles under the lights of Thursday Night Football.

Bertrand rotated with Landman in two of the ensuing three weeks before suffering a concussion in Tampa Bay. He wasn't listed on the injury report upon returning to the team in Week 13 but was inactive anyways. The following week, he didn't play any defensive snaps.

Then, Bertrand's moment came. The rotation with Landman grew closer to even. Bertrand played 29 defensive snaps in Week 15 and 26 snaps apiece in Weeks 16 and 17.

In a primetime loss to the Washington Commanders in Week 17, Bertrand recorded his first career sack, quarterback hit and tackle for loss to go along with five tackles. He missed the season finale due to injury, but his three-week sample size while Atlanta pushed for a playoff bid left a strong impression.

"He had to play some really meaningful ball for us," Elliss said. "He had some really good clips, really good games, really good moments."

But Bertrand's late ascent wasn't merely a byproduct of gradual rookie progression, Falcons inside linebackers coach Barrett Ruud told Atlanta Falcons on SI before OTAs.

"One thing with him is he came in very well prepared from Notre Dame," Ruud said. "He had a great work ethic from the jump. He's extremely intelligent and he's extremely athletic, too. So, he picked things up fast as a rookie, and honestly, it wasn't like a huge transition for him.

"I think he came in more prepared than most to play, and when he got his opportunities, he was really good."

The Alpharetta, Ga., native finished his rookie season with 25 tackles while playing 395 total snaps across defense and special teams.

Bertrand is likely headed for a similar role in 2025, as Elliss returns to the middle of Atlanta's defense with free agent signee and former Las Vegas Raiders starter Divine Deablo alongside him. Landman signed with the Los Angeles Rams in free agency, while Andersen missed all of OTAs and minicamp recovering from a knee injury suffered last season.

The 6' 1", 230-pound Bertrand served as a second-string linebacker during the early phase of summer workouts. He and Andersen figure to lead the Falcons' depth at the position while playing extensively on special teams.

But there's a bigger picture with a different long-term outcome for Bertrand, too. Elliss and Andersen are unrestricted free agents after 2025, as are reserve linebackers and special teamers Caleb Johnson and Josh Woods. Bertrand, Deablo and undrafted rookies Nick Kubitz and Malik Verdon are the only inside linebackers currently under contract for 2026.

The Falcons, of course, can adjust the room as they see fit. But Bertrand has an opportunity this season to make a claim for a larger role moving forward.

The 25-year-old Bertrand's intelligence and attention to detail reminds Elliss of a former teammate in New Orleans Saints linebacker Pete Werner, who's started 40 games over the past three seasons.

Whether Bertrand becomes a consistent starter remains to be seen -- but his development and performance this fall will likely play a significant role in determining that.

Falcons head coach Raheem Morris said at April's league meetings that players often make their biggest jump from Year 1 to Year 2. Ruud attributed the leap to comfortability and learning how to be a professional -- the latter of which isn't a concern about Bertrand.

"What's unique with JD is I think he came in more prepared than most," Ruud said. "Not to say he won't still make a very big leap in Year 2, but I think most guys aren't as professional as he is right when they get in to learn those habits. And I think he came in really well prepared for that."

There's still, however, a process of learning the intricacies of pro football, and in Bertrand's case, adjusting to new defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich's system.

"You still learn how offenses try to attack you, and then when you put a new defense in, it's like anything else, once you get more and more comfortable in the defense, that also allows you to take that next step," Ruud said.

Bertrand enters 2025 with a world of unknowns, but the unknown holds opportunity. If he seizes it, his world may look much different in a year's time.