Atlanta Falcons: Grading All of Thomas Dimitroff’s Draft Class

Nov 4, 2012; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Falcons safety William Moore (25) takes the field before the game against the Dallas Cowboys at the Georgia Dome. The Falcons defeated the Cowboys 19-13. Mandatory Credit: Josh D. Weiss-USA TODAY Sports

2009:

Round 1 (pick 24): DT Peria Jerry

Round 2 (pick 55): S William Moore

Round 3 (pick 90): CB Christopher Owens

Round 4 (pick 125): DE Lawrence Sidbury

Round 5 (pick 138): CB William Middleton

Round 5 (pick 156): OT Garrett Reynolds

Round 6 (pick 176): LB Spencer Adkins

Round 7 (pick 210): DT Vance Walker

The Good: Not much. Chris Owens had his moments with special teams but was never a good cover corner or starting caliber player. Garrett Reynolds spent a year starting for the offensive line, and that’s an accomplishment for a 5th rounder, but he wasn’t very good. Vance Walker had a few solid years as a rotational defensive lineman and is still in the league as a result (pretty good for a 7th rounder). William Moore was the main highlight of this draft, he’s been excellent: solidifying the secondary, and even making the pro bowl in 2012.

The Bad: Peria Jerry was one of the worst first round picks in all of Dimitroff’s drafts. He never made an impact for the team, and has battled numerous injuries. Jerry finally lost his love for the game at training camp this season, and decided to call it a career, and it was all witnessed on Hard Knocks. Clay Matthews, one of the best linebackers in the NFL today, was taken two picks after Jerry. Noone in this class outside of William Moore made any lasting impact for this team, and as a result, Moore is the only player still left on the team.

Grade: D Dimitroff followed an amazing draft class in 2008, with this stinker. Peria Jerry was an awful first round pick (Clay Matthews was taken two picks later), and noone other than William Moore was very relevant at all in the NFL. Willy Mo was the only the thing that salvaged this class, and he’s the only reason Dimitroff didn’t get an F for this abysmal class; every other player faded away. Poor drafting here didn’t give the Falcons any good rookie reinforcements which could provide valuable depth for the season, and that’s one of the reason’s why Atlanta missed the playoffs with a 9-7 record (not the only reason), following an excellent year in 2008 where they unexpectedly competed for the division.