FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. -- Walk through the Atlanta Falcons' parking lot and you'll notice the custom-made Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat with gold trimming and slick black rims.

It belongs to second-year linebacker De'Vondre Campbell, who purchased the toy in Florida last year.

"It's different, and I consider myself different," Campbell said. "I try to be different in everything that I do. When I did it, I was like, 'I want to do something that I've never seen anybody do.' The gold is real. It's just dipped in gold."

So how much did Campbell pay for it?

"A pretty penny," he said with a smile.

Linebackers coach Jeff Ulbrich offered his opinion on Campbell's ride.

"It looks like a Transformer," Ulbrich said. "It's pretty cool."

Yes, Campbell is in the midst of a transformation, one that has him primed for an optimal performance this season.

The 6-foot-3, 234-pound Campbell started at weak-side linebacker as a rookie a year ago, struggling to diagnose plays at times and hampered by a serious ankle injury. Now he's adjusting to playing strong-side linebacker in the base package, a move made, in part, to showcase Campbell's all-around skills and one also related to the addition of rookie Duke Riley as another speedy inside linebacker. Campbell likely will remain as the Will linebacker in the nickel package, although Riley could push him for those duties next to middle linebacker Deion Jones.

Campbell's transition appears to be seamless so far. He made a spectacular interception in Thursday night's exhibition opener against the Miami Dolphins, dropping back in coverage some 15 yards downfield on a play-action pass and then leaping up to make the play in front of 5-7, 169-pound speedster Jakeem Grant. He nearly turned it into a pick-six but stepped out of bounds. Campbell, who underwent laser eye surgery in the offseason, admitted that being able to see things better on the field certainly helped.

The play from Thursday night was symbolic of one aspect Ulbrich is looking for from Campbell in the Sam linebacker role.

"I want, first of all, a guy that is a great edge-setter in the run game, so he's got to have length and he's got to have toughness," Ulbrich explained. "He's got to have the mindset of 'I hope it runs my way, and when it does, I'm going to make the play.'

"Next, I need a guy who is great in coverage, whether that be buzzing underneath the No. 1 receiver, and sometimes you have to cover 20 yards to do that. You have to have the ability in man-to-man to play against tight ends, who typically have a lot of length. And the secret sauce is, on top of all that, you have to have a guy who can pass rush. You can blitz him and you can pass rush him and affect the quarterback."

The Falcons drafted Campbell in the fourth round, in large part, because they believed he had the ideal length and speed to cover tight ends. That element of his game is crucial going into 2017, with the likes of Carolina's Greg Olsen and now Tampa Bay rookie O.J. Howard playing in the NFC South.

The wild card is what Campbell can add from a pass-rush standpoint, even as a blitzer. He has worked intensely to improve his pass-rush skills, spending offseason time with former Falcon and pass-rush guru Chuck Smith. During team workouts in the spring, he began spending extra time after practice working on pass-rush drills. And so far during training camp, you'll see him go through defensive-line drills on occasion.

Falcons coach Dan Quinn, who prides himself on developing pass-rushers, has had plenty of one-on-one time with Campbell, showing him how to beat an offensive lineman to the punch.

"I think he's really, really pushing it as a rusher," Quinn said of Campbell. "Think of the added versatility that would be if he can cover tight ends and can rush. It opens up a whole new package, so to speak."

Campbell's development is something to watch as the season approaches. His car is evidence that he likes his flash off the field. We'll see if he continues to do so on it.