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Atlanta Falcons: Recent history of No. 17 pick in the NFL draft

By Chandler Stewart

May 8, 2014; New York, NY, USA; A general view of a helmet and NFL shield logo before the start of the 2014 NFL Draft at Radio City Music Hall. Mandatory Credit: Adam Hunger-USA TODAY Sports
May 8, 2014; New York, NY, USA; A general view of a helmet and NFL shield logo before the start of the 2014 NFL Draft at Radio City Music Hall. Mandatory Credit: Adam Hunger-USA TODAY Sports /
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Let’s take a look at the history of the 17th overall pick, where the Atlanta Falcons will be selecting in the 2016 NFL Draft.

The saying goes, “past results are no guarantee of future performance” but it’s always fun to look back and see what history has provided us. The NFL Draft is no different. We tend to look back to see what teams did at certain picks and what value they received.

This year the Atlanta Falcons are picking 17th in the draft so lets take a look at some past players and their stats from when they were also selected at #17.

The Good

A Hall of Fame of running back, a future Hall of Fame kicker, and two Pro Bowl offensive linemen have been the best players drafted at 17. The Falcons will not be getting a running back nor a kicker this year, and the likelihood of getting an offensive lineman is slim to none, so this list will probably be moot. Knowing that you can get Hall of Fame talent at 17 is helpful to put the mind at ease.

Nov 15, 2015; Baltimore, MD, USA; Baltimore Ravens linebacker C.J. Mosley (57) runs onto the field prior to the game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Evan Habeeb-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 15, 2015; Baltimore, MD, USA; Baltimore Ravens linebacker C.J. Mosley (57) runs onto the field prior to the game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Evan Habeeb-USA TODAY Sports /

Solid Contributors

These are the blue collar guys who show up to work every Sunday and get the job done. No one on this list is going to start any great player debates, but every single one of these guys knew what they were there to do.

C.J. Mosley is still young as he is going into his third season as pro, so he could still develop into a great one. The best part about this list is three linebackers are on it. Atlanta will more than likely be drafting someone to help out our linebacking corps and if they can get a guy that produces at the rate of the ones on this list, it will be considered a success.

The Busts

A mixture of good college players that just did not pan out in the NFL. All the players on this list were not great college players, but they were above average. They had the tools to succeed at the next level but just could not put it all together and develop into that impact player all teams are looking for in the first round. When drafting in the mid-to-late first round you have to draft based on potential and none of these guys ever reached theirs.

The Falcons’ History

Atlanta has had the 17th pick in the NFL draft one time since 1980. With that pick, the Atlanta Falcons selected Tim Green, DE, Syracuse. Green ended up playing in Atlanta for eight seasons finishing with 24 sacks in his career in Atlanta.

More falcons: Latest Falcons seven-round mock draft

With the lack of pass rush Atlanta has had in recent seasons, grabbing a guy like Green that averaged three sacks a season would be a big disappointment. Let’s hope history does not repeat itself.