Listed at 6-foot-2, 210 pounds, Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Mohamed Sanu thinks being bigger will help make him better. And so does his coach.
"Although he's 220 pounds, he can change direction like a smaller player. And that kind of size in the slot, you can see the advantage that would have. He's a real valuable factor for us in the passing game," said head coach Dan Quinn, according to Will McFadden of the Falcons' website.
Sanu played last season at his listed weight, finishing his first year with the Falcons with 59 receptions for 653 yards. According to Pro Football Focus, Sanu caught 59 of the 78 catchable targets he received, dropping just two would-be receptions. His 76 percent catch rate ranked 10th among receivers to play at least 25 percent of their team's snaps.
His 2.8 percent drop rate over the past two seasons leads all receivers.
According to Quinn, Sanu's aim this offseason has been to be able to do more with the ball once it's secured in his hands.
"He threw a good camp; he got improved on certain things," Quinn said. "Inside in the slot, for a big guy, he still has good change of direction to break a guy off in the slot."
Even with the high catch rate, Sanu ranked 51st in yards per target last season. His 11.1 yards per reception ranked just 96th. Sanu's 10-pound larger frame this season should make it more difficult for diminutive defenders to bring him down, while he maintains the speed necessary to elude larger opponents.
