Three All-Pro’s the Atlanta Falcons passed up for Takk McKinley

Former Atlanta Falcons DE Takk McKinley was claimed by the Bengals Wednesday.

The Atlanta Falcons had high hopes for the former UCLA Bruin. When his name was called in the 2017 NFL Draft, he probably had one of the most heartfelt moments in the history of the draft as he had a picture of his late grandmother with tears falling from his face.

Fast forward three years later and just like Vic Beasley, he couldn’t live up to the expectations that we’re placed in front of him. Mckinley had the motor and the mouth, but his play didn’t match the intensity of those traits. The fact that he couldn’t stay healthy also led to his lack of production.

The Falcons have a trend of not hitting on their first-round selections. For every Matt Ryan, Julio Jones, and Calvin Ridley, you have a Vic Beasley, Jamaal Anderson, Michael Jenkins, and Peria Jerry.

There were many Thomas Dimitroff picks, just like in 2017, when whoever picked right after the Falcons ended up with the much better player.

The pick at the time for the Falcons seemed like a good one. They addressed a position in need but sometimes it’s not always best to draft what you need. Sometimes it calls for drafting the best player available.

Looking back now, the Atlanta Falcons passed on some good players to draft Takk McKinley that we’re selected only a few picks after him.