The Falcons are stuck in a pattern of perpetual mediocrity. The team has not made the playoffs since 2016, and that is going to continue this season as well with little hope for the future.
The “mel kiper mock draft 2022 steelers” is an article written by Mel Kiper Jr. in which he predicts the Pittsburgh Steelers will select a quarterback with their first pick of the upcoming NFL Draft. The team has been burned too many times before, and they should know better than to let this happen again.
Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different outcome is said to be the definition of insanity. It makes you wonder what the Atlanta Falcons are up to in the NFL Draft. The Falcons have made the same mistake in the first round of the draft every year since 2005, and if ESPN draft expert Mel Kiper Jr. is correct, the current administration is set to do it again.
The Atlanta Falcons continue to choose pass catchers in the first round.
The quarterback position is the most important on the football field. The team’s offensive and defensive lines constitute its foundation. Skill position players are crucial, but drafting them early in the draft is a luxury if your team’s core isn’t in place.
The Atlanta Falcons have picked high-end pass catchers in the first round without having the framework in place to support them during the 2000s. It’s the equivalent of owning a Ferrari but not having a garage because you rent an apartment.
It’s not as if the Falcons don’t pick good pass catchers. In reality, it’s the polar opposite.
Roddy White was the franchise’s 27th pick in 2005. White went on to be a four-time Pro Bowl wide receiver as well as an All-Pro selection. In his career, he caught 808 passes for 10, 863 yards and 63 touchdowns. In his 11-year career, he only reached the playoffs four times and never made it to the NFC Championship Game.
Julio Jones, a wide receiver, was the sixth overall selection in 2011. During his ten years in Atlanta, he caught 848 passes for 12,896 yards and 61 touchdowns. Jones was able to make seven Pro Bowls, two All-Pro teams, and perhaps the Hall of Fame with those stats. While he did win a Super Bowl, he only appeared in the playoffs four times in ten seasons.
Calvin Ridley, a wide receiver, was drafted 26th overall in 2018. In a little more than five seasons, the former Alabama pass-catcher has 248 catches for 3,342 yards and 28 touchdowns. Unfortunately, he was forced to take the most of 2021 off due to mental health issues, and he is now banned for the whole year of 2022 after betting on NFL games.
After missing the playoffs for three seasons after picking Ridley, the Falcons did it again in 2021, selecting tight end Kyle Pitts fourth overall. The former Florida Gator had a fantastic first season, catching 68 passes for 1,026 yards and a touchdown, earning him a Pro Bowl berth.
Following the loss of quarterback Matt Ryan and a 7-10 season, you’d expect the Falcons would choose a first-round talent at a key position or maybe a new franchise quarterback.
Mel Kiper Jr., on the other hand, does not believe that.
The Falcons will choose WR Garrett Wilson from Ohio State at No. 8 overall, according to Mel Kiper Jr.
In his most recent mock draft, ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. has the Atlanta Falcons selecting Ohio State wide receiver Garrett Wilson with the No. 8 choice, despite the availability of blue-chip talents at value positions.
There’s no reason why a club shouldn’t choose Wilson. He has the potential to be a fantastic receiver. He’s one of the greatest pass-catchers in this year’s NFL Draft, with USC’s Drake London and Alabama’s Jameson Williams. In 2021, the 6-foot, 186-pound wideout from Austin, Texas, had a breakout season for the Ohio State Buckeyes. He caught 143 passes for 1,058 yards, 12 receiving touchdowns, and one running touchdown.
Wilson isn’t the source of the issue. It has to do with Atlanta’s selection of Wilson.
The Falcons’ offense finished 26th in scoring and 29th in total yards, while their defense finished 30th in scoring and 26th in yards allowed. Kyle Pitts, a rookie tight end, and Josh Harris, the team’s long snapper, were the team’s only two Pro Bowlers this season.
In addition, the team replaced four-time Pro Bowl, one-time All-Pro, and 2016 NFL MVP quarterback Matt Ryan with journeyman/backup Marcus Mariota this summer.
The Falcons are in desperate need of a number of things in order to turn their team into a regular contender. One of them isn’t a Ferrari of a wide receiver in the first round.
In the 2022 NFL Draft, who should be the No. 8 pick?
Getty Images/Garrett Wilson | Jason Mowry/Icon Sportswire
According to Mel Kiper Jr.’s mock draft, beyond the first seven choices, there should be some high-end talents available at premium prices.
Mississippi State offensive lineman Charles Cross, Cincinnati cornerback Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner, and Florida State pass rusher Jermaine Johnson II are the greatest of these guys. At No. 8, any of those options would be a better fit for the Atlanta Falcons than Garrett Wilson.
The most fascinating topic, though, is whether or not the Falcons should pursue a quarterback to replace Matt Ryan.
The problem is that none of the top quarterback prospects in this year’s NFL draft are deserving of a spot in the top ten based on their college performance and career potential. Who cares where Liberty’s Malik Willis, Pittsburgh’s Kenny Pickett, or even Ole Miss’ Matt Corral gets drafted if they become franchise quarterbacks?
The Falcons should take a chance on Willis if he falls to No. 8 in the draft. He’s the greatest quarterback on the board this year, plus he was born and bred in Atlanta, so he’d be a fan favorite from the start.
The issue is that the Carolina Panthers are likely to choose a quarterback at No. 6, and Willis is a possibility. Pickett, on the other hand, has been on the franchise’s radar. If Willis isn’t available at No. 6, the Falcons should choose Cross and begin constructing from the ground up, as most excellent NFL teams do.
Pro Football Reference provided all stats.
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