Reliving the Atlanta Falcons top moments of the decade
By Ross Terrell
“With the sixth pick in the 2011 NFL draft, the Atlanta Falcons select Julio Jones.”
When the trade was announced, Mike Mayock of the NFL Network described it as one word for the Falcons. Brutal.
What has Julio Jones done since?
Only 790 receptions, more than 12,000 yards, and 57 touchdowns. A few pro-bowl trips, some first-team all-pro appearances, led the league in receiving yards here and there, ascended to the best receiver in the NFL. Can I stop?
The five players the Browns selected with the Falcons picks? Phil Taylor (who?), Greg Little, Owen Marecic, (again, who?), Brandon Weeden, and Trent Richardson (should’ve went with the first Alabama player).
I guess it was brutal but not for Atlanta. Julio has at times, put the team on his back on offense, been the best secondary player on the roster, and snagged catches that have embarrassed defenders and should have won championships.
Well, hindsight is 2020 (ironic considering the year we’re going into) and for draft analysts and the Cleveland Browns, they probably wish they could this all over again.
It’s actually one of the few times in sports betting your future on a single-player actual pan out. Plus in the 2012 draft, the first three picks were Andrew Luck, RG III, and the aforementioned Trent Richardson. Two of them aren’t even in the league anymore.
This was one of the Falcons’ first big wins of the decade. Julio has treated fans of the Falcons and of football to exceptional performances while being the quietest superstar you’ve ever heard. The NFL’s Kawhi Leonard.
Meanwhile, the Browns have struggled to stay relevant going 1-31 over two seasons in this decade, while Atlanta was chasing championships.