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Falcons 2016 Draft: History of the No. 17 pick

By Freddie Boston

Jan 3, 2016; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Baltimore Ravens inside linebacker C.J. Mosley (57) against the Cincinnati Bengals at Paul Brown Stadium. The bengals won 24-16. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 3, 2016; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Baltimore Ravens inside linebacker C.J. Mosley (57) against the Cincinnati Bengals at Paul Brown Stadium. The bengals won 24-16. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports /
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History suggests the Atlanta Falcons can find good value with the No. 17 pick of the draft.

Picking with the 17th overall pick is somewhat frustrating for Atlanta Falcons, as it means the previous season wasn’t good enough to land a playoff berth, but also not bad enough to have the excitement of a top-ten pick. Nobody aims for 8-8.

Despite that, history suggests good value can be found at #17, and Dan Quinn and Thomas Dimitroff will look to build to the list with their first selection of the 2016 NFL Draft. Let’s take a look back at the past three players selected with the 17th overall pick.

DE Arik Armstead

It’s unfair to judge players after just one season in the league, although the San Francisco 49ers have reason to be excited with their 2015 selection. Armstead put together a solid rookie campaign for the 49ers registering two sacks.

Armstead was tied for 28th among 123 graded interior defenders by Pro Football Focus, which is a very respectable start to life in the NFL. His 79.7 grade fits into their ‘starter’ category.

LB C.J. Mosley

C.J. Mosley was another excellent pick at No. 17. In 2014, the Baltimore Ravens landed the inside linebacker to help shore up the middle of their defense. He has some limitations in coverage, but his pass rushing ability earned him an 85.1 grade in 2015, which is good for 11th among all linebackers.

LB Jarvis Jones

Of the three most recent picks at No. 17, Jarvis Jones is the most questionable. Jones has never lived up to expectations as a pass rusher with just five sacks to his name over three seasons. At this stage, he has the look of a rotational piece on the Pittsburgh Steelers’ defense.

The bigger question for the Falcons isn’t whether they can find good value at No. 17, but rather whether they will look to move out of their position.

More falcons: Latest Falcons seven-round mock draft

Owning just five selections this April, there’s a good possibility Dimitroff will be on the phone trying to find a dance partner at the bottom of the first round. If some of the top-tier pass rushers are off the board, moving back might be the smartest option.