Malik Verdon

Linebacker · Iowa State

An undrafted Iowa State linebacker whose rookie season with the Falcons never got off the ground because of injury.

Malik Verdon signed with Atlanta as an undrafted free agent out of Iowa State in 2025, bringing a second-team All-Big 12 resume and a 6-foot-4 frame built for the position. A non-football injury derailed his rookie year before it started, leaving him working to make his first real NFL impact in 2026.

★ Second-team All-Big 12 (2024)

★ 76 tackles in his final season at Iowa State

Path to the league

Verdon played four seasons at Iowa State after starting his high school career at Lakota West and Moeller before finishing at Hamilton High School in Ohio. He went undrafted in 2025 and signed with the Falcons shortly after the draft.

Career highlights

Across 27 games for the Cyclones, Verdon piled up 134 tackles, 7 tackles for loss, an interception and two forced fumbles. His best season came in 2024, when he finished second on the team with 76 tackles and earned second-team All-Big 12 honors.

2025 season recap

Verdon opened his rookie year on the reserve/non-football injury list. He was designated to return in mid-November but was never activated, and he finished the 2025 season without appearing in a regular-season game for the Falcons.