Three traits the Atlanta Falcons need to identify during the draft process

When you look at the Atlanta Falcons draft picks over the last 12 years under Thomas Dimitroff, it becomes very clear that he spends a lot of time attempting to draft players that fit traditional NFL positional molds.

However, when you look at many of the Atlanta Falcons most successful players, they do not fit those traditional NFL molds. A few days ago, we looked at every offensive lineman that Dimitroff had drafted and many of them were All-American players in college, yet most had not worked out.

When you look at this roster, two of the most successful players for the Falcons in recent years are Grady Jarrett and Deion Jones. Neither of those guys fit in the traditional profile for their positions. Both guys are smaller yet faster than others traditionally at their positions.

Thomas Dimitroff needs to spend more time looking at these three traits in a football player and less time looking at stature.

1. Tough

Sure, it is the NFL and compared to the average person, an NFL player is tough. However, we are talking about a different level of toughness. The more important a situation, the tougher the game becomes for many players. Yes, playing through some injuries is great and all but can they hang in there and make a play with the game on the line when their team needs them the most?

2. Smart

There is a difference between book smart and football smart. The Wonderlic test is a useless tool that teams still use in 2020. Put players in real game situations – use artificial intelligence and technology to throw them into a virtual game and see how they react to situations where many have failed and see how to perform.

While I understand that this is not going to happen. The technology is there to look through their college films and identify this ability and the Falcons need to spend the time doing so.

Smart football players will always find a way to be successful because they understand how to formulate scenarios differently than others.

3. Dependable

This player is someone that his teammates and coaching staff can count on every play of every game and goes hand in hand with being tough and smart. A roster full of these players will win more games and perform well in big moments, a lot like the New England Patriots have for the last two decades. They don’t have a lot of big-name players, but they do have a lot of tough, smart and dependable players that win championships.

Every team wants players with these three traits but not every team is capable of truly identifying these traits in potential players. It is time that the Atlanta Falcons and Thomas Dimitroff start investing in these types of players instead of guys that simply fit a body type.