Nate

Landman

Atlanta brought in Landman as a UDFA in 2022. He didn’t see much run as a rookie but started 14 games and appeared in 16 in 2023. Landman totaled 110 tackles while forcing three fumbles and stealing one interception. He was an exclusive rights free agent this offseason and the breakout campaign made him an obvious name for Atlanta to bring back this offseason. Landman will look to keep the momentum rolling in 2024.

Head coach Arthur Smith said the team will make a decision on Terrell on Saturday after having a chance to speak with medical professionals. Terrell being upgraded to a full participant is good for his Week 14 outlook, but if he doesn’t clear concussion protocol, he won’t play. While Terrell’s status remains wait-and-see, the Falcons have already ruled out LB Nate Landman (knee), RT Kaleb McGary (knee), DL David Onyemata (ankle), and DE LaCale London (knee) for Sunday’s contest against the Buccaneers.

Landman (6'2.5"/238) was first-team All-PAC 12 twice, second-team twice, and a second-team All-American once. He’s as traditional a MIKE as they come, a tackling machine with great knowledge and the abilty to read and react to offensive plays. He might not have NFL athleticism. His 4.86 40 is in the 15th percentile, and he’s notably quite stiff and lacks ability to change direction. He’s not huge either, and he did suffer two season-ending injuries in 2020 and 2021.

Landman (6'3/230) has been an absolute warrior for the Buffaloes, recording 2,262 snaps while starting every game since 2018 until he sustained a knee injury against Cal in Week 8 last year. In addition to being a thumper in run support, Landman improved his coverage skills enough to limit receivers to eight catches on 15 targets for a 53 percent completion rate and 135 receiving yards on the season. The Colorado LB projects as an early down, run-stuffer who is currently projected as a sixth round prospect.

Landman (6'3/230), who has been one of the best linebackers in college football this season, went down with a non-contact knee injury during the second quarter. Visibly emotional while being examined, the senior linebacker was unable to put much weight on his right leg while being helped off the field. Losing Landman would have a major impact on the Colorado defense. Hopefully the injury isn’t as serious as it appeared to be.

If you got a chance to watch Landman on Saturday -- and hopefully you did, because it was a terrific football game -- you missed a player who picked up 14 tackles while helping lead the Buffaloes to a 34-31 overtime win. As Pauline writes in his summary: “Landman is a tough, instinctive linebacker who really stands out defending the run.” He certainly helped his draft stock on Saturday, and this was not an unknown came coming into 2019.

After excelling as a sophomore Landman (6'3/230), who was given an overall grade of 85.7 in 2018, had a tough 2019. In addition to the significantly lower overall grade, the senior linebacker allowed 449 passing yards on 375 coverage snaps (compared to 79 yards on 235 coverage snaps the season prior). Landman still amassed 127 total tackles in 11 starts in 2019, so it wasn’t a completely lost season for him. He’ll be a key player with regard to both on-field production and leadership for first-year HC Karl Dorrell this fall.

Landman was one of the few bright spots for the Buffaloes last year, registering 104 tackles with 15 of them going for loss as a sophomore. Now, he’s going to get to play in head coach Mel Tucker’s defensive system, and that’s a system that puts a lot of onus on the middle linebacker. “Under Tucker’s direction (more importantly, in his defense), he could develop into a future NFL standout,” writes Hummer. We’re excited to see what he can do, and this is a real sleeper to keep an eye on in 2019.

Landman entered the game as Colorado’s leader in tackles, so it goes without saying that he early departure is a big deal for the Buffaloes. Since the ejection occurred during the first half, the sophomore linebacker will not miss any game time beyond the remainder of Saturday’s game.