Rookie DE Malliciah Goodman brings long reach, strong hands to boost Falcons' pass rush
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The Atlanta Falcons are counting on Malliciah Goodman causing problems for quarterbacks with his long arms and strong hands.
The fourth-round pick from Clemson was one of two defensive ends taken by Atlanta. The Falcons drafted TCU's Stansly Maponga in the fifth round, and the first-year players had their first NFL workouts in Saturday's rookie camp.
After releasing sacks leader John Abraham, the Falcons signed free-agent defensive end Osi Umenyiora from the Giants. Goodman has a chance to start with Umenyiora.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Goodman impressed scouts by using his unusually long arms and strong hands to deflect blockers. He is listed as 6-foot-4 and 276 pounds, and his arms measure 36 3/8 inches — the longest of any defensive lineman at the NFL combine.