Frank Darby was the rare Atlanta Falcons 2021 draft pick who did not end up with at least a mildly significant role as a rookie – some by expectation, others by injuries elsewhere creating necessity, and, at least in Adetokunbo Ogundeji's case, by how he played.

Darby, meanwhile, received the advantage many rookies don’t have on salary-cap-strapped teams, even if it doesn’t always seem like.

The sixth-rounder was able to wait.

“My whole motive was just keep working hard and someone will notice it,” Darby said. “I took each and every day like I’m always happy. I’m happy to be here, so why would I come in here with a bad attitude and everything and not go out there and perform how I’m supposed to perform?”

Darby ran only 12 routes this season. He was targeted four times and had just one reception – at the end of a blowout loss to Dallas. But with Darby, there was always an understanding, one which may show up very fast this offseason. Darby is the only Falcons receiver who finished the year on the 53-man roster contracted to return for 2022 (Calvin Ridley was on the NFI list for two-thirds of the season and Austin Trammell and Chad Hansen were on the practice squad).

Which means where there once was a crowded space with Ridley and free agents Russell Gage, Olamide Zaccheaus, Tajae Sharpe and Christian Blake now could be an area full of opportunity for the receiver from Arizona State.

The coaching staff has said that they have a plan for Darby, though. When they were asked why he wasn’t playing in a receiving corps that was not producing, they said Darby was working hard in practice.

And practice is where Darby was able to show what might one day be possible from him. After Ridley left the team on Halloween to deal with personal matters – a moment which seemed to awaken Darby to how he needed to approach playing in the NFL – he started to receive more work in practice. It didn’t translate into playing time in games, but it also gave him more work with quarterback Matt Ryan, which may pay off in the future.

“I learn so much from him,” Darby said. “He pulled me over to the side, and he’s like do this, this and that. Yeah, you see it on paper, but when it’s on the field, it’s different.”

It was also Ryan who injected confidence in Darby. When the veteran quarterback pulled the rookie receiver to the side after a practice and told him “Frank, you’re doing a hell of a job,” it told Darby even though he wasn’t playing he was starting to show improvement to a guy who spent most of his career throwing to Hall of Famers.

It also continued to give Darby what he’s best known for at this point – his never-ending energy. During training camp, Darby was easy to spot because he was always bouncing around. In media sessions, he’s exuberant. And controlling that – just another lesson in a season full of them.

Back in college, Darby admitted he would take a play off here or there. He can’t do that in the NFL. He also had to learn when to be energetic and when to tone it down.

“Try to be myself, but there’s always a time and a place, and that’s what I learned,” Darby said. “As I was going through each week, there’s always a time and a place. When we past the line, we need you more serious. We need you to do this. We need you to understand the depths and this route and the concepts of the routes.

“That was mainly one of the things that I was learning, seeing how everybody operates.”

He watched how Ryan and Gage took notes. How Grady Jarrett managed his body. Tried to devour all those things so he could become a better pro – a pro who steps on the field – next season. And there also came advice, too, from those around him. From players whom he watched. And from coaches who started to get him ready for the present and the future.

With what Atlanta has – and doesn’t have – returning in its receiver room, a chance for Darby could be available.

“[Falcons receivers] coach [Dave] Brock explained to me that there’s people you probably won’t even know that’s decision-makers that’s out there. You don’t even know ‘em, Frank,” Darby said. “It was just like once he said to me, ‘Frank, be on top of your game every day. Go out there and do everything that you need to do at a high level and sooner or later your name will be called and you just got to be ready to go.’"

Editor's note: The Falcons parted ways with receivers coach Dave Brock on Tuesday.