Atlanta Falcons best all-time draft picks by round
By Joe Beasley
3rd Round – William Andrews (1979 79th Overall Pick)
Austin Hooper would have been a popular pick for best third-round draft pick due to his recent success, but the best third-round pick for the Falcons was RB/FB William Andrews. Andrews played for the Atlanta Falcons for the duration of his short career and was very well on the way to becoming one of the best running back in the league.
Andrews was one of the first backs in NFL history to gain 1,000 yards in his first three seasons joining the like on Tony Dorsett, and Earl Campbell, the best of the best when you discuss running backs.
His career was cut short due to injuries but he still ranks third all-time on the Falcons rushing yard list behind only Michael Turner and former teammate Gerald Riggs.
4th Round – Devonta Freeman (2014 103rd Overall Pick)
This will be an unpopular choice among Falcons fan especially since this was the same round that Tim Dwight was drafted in back in 1998, but Freeman is the best fourth-round pick in Atlanta Falcons history. Let’s put the previous two years aside right now and look at his body of work.
He spent his first year as a backup to Steven Jackson in 2014 but the following year he assumed the position as the starting running back and produced in a pass-happy offense.
Freeman has back to back seasons with 1,000 plus yards and 10+ rushing touchdowns and played a big factor in helping the Falcons reach the Super Bowl
He ranks sixth all-time in Atlanta Falcons history in rushing yards and fourth in rushing touchdowns. If he’s able to stay with the Falcons and find his mojo again, Freeman could go down as the best running back in Falcons history.