Atlanta Falcons need a starter not a bench player with the first pick

The Atlanta Falcons cannot afford anything but a starter with the fourth overall pick.

Looking back on the last 10 Atlanta Falcons drafts it becomes painfully obvious that they drafted backward. They drafted bench pieces in the first three rounds while finding starters in the final four rounds.

Don’t misconstrue what is being said – there is nothing wrong with finding and developing diamonds in the rough like Grady Jarrett but imagine where this franchise would be if they hadn’t mucked up their picks in the first three rounds.

Going back to the 2011 NFL draft, the Atlanta Falcons have had 25 picks in the Top 3 rounds of the NFL draft. Of those 25 picks, only 11 of those selections are guys who are or were good enough to be unquestioned starters – Julio Jones, Desmond Trufant, Robert Alford, Jake Matthews, Tevin Coleman, Keanu Neal, Deion Jones, Austin Hooper, Calvin Ridley, Chris Lindstrom, AJ Terrell.

The other 14 picks were spent on busts Akeem Dent, Peter Konz, Lamar Holmes, Ra’Shede Hageman, Dezmen Southward, Vice Beasley, Jalen Collins, Takk McKinley, Duke Riley, Isaiah Oliver, Deadrin Senat, Kaleb McGary, Marlon Davidson, and Matt Hennessy.

In all fairness, it is way too early to judge Kaleb McGary, Marlon Davidson, and Matt Hennessy. McGary has shown flashes of being really good and Matt Hennessy is going to get his chance in 2021. Everyone was really excited about Davidson in 2020 but he was a non-factor.

Hopefully, this coaching change will help elevate his game.

In his first NFL draft as general manager, Terry Fontenot cannot afford to draft anything but starters with the picks the Atlanta Falcons have in the first three rounds. With all the holes that this roster has, nothing less should be acceptable.

This reason alone is why drafting a quarterback in the first round makes no sense.

The Atlanta Falcons cannot afford to draft a player that high in hopes that they will be able to help them in three to four years. Paying someone more than $30 million to “learn the ropes” isn’t something that this franchise is in a position to do at the moment.

Last year’s fourth overall pick in the draft, Andrew Thomas, signed a four-year $32.3 million deal, why on earth would the Falcons dedicate more money to another quarterback when they are paying their current starter more than $30 million this season alone?

Yes, the Atlanta Falcons will allegedly draft the best available player, but Fontenot is not going to let anyone outside the franchise know what his stacked draft board looks like nor what he considers to be the best available.

What he would tell us is that the franchise needs starters for 2021, not starters for 2024.