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Atlanta Falcons still mediocre after 2021 NFL Draft, analyst says

By Andrew Boardwine

Oct 20, 2019; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Falcons defensive tackle Grady Jarrett (97) shown on the bench during the game against the Los Angeles Rams during the second half at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 20, 2019; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Falcons defensive tackle Grady Jarrett (97) shown on the bench during the game against the Los Angeles Rams during the second half at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Atlanta Falcons made some picks to help their franchise get better during the 2021 NFL Draft, but that won’t be enough to make them legitimate playoff contenders, at least not with what this analyst thinks.

Pro Football Network’s Matt Williamson published his power rankings for the league following the NFL Draft and he had the Atlanta Falcons ranked at No. 22 overall.

That ranking was good enough for third in the NFC South, ahead of the Carolina Panthers (No. 25) but well behind the New Orleans Saints (No. 12) and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (No. 1) as we head into the thick of the offseason.

"“The Falcons offense should be lethal, especially with Kyle Pitts now on board. But are they any better on defense? It doesn’t seem as if they are. Expect high-scoring games this year for the Falcons,” Williamson wrote."

The Atlanta Falcons got better, but Williamson is still likely right about the chances of playoff contention

To win in today’s NFL, you have to be elite on offense and you have to at least be competent on defense.

The Falcons should have one of those down and ready to go. Well, assuming they can get a more consistent effort from their offensive line and a better rushing attack.

But the defense still has its holes. Richie Grant is a nice upgrade in the secondary, but does that unit take the next steps to be better than that of the Saints or the Bucs? Can the front-seven hold up without a ton of depth built?

The Falcons have the potential to be one of the best teams in the league on the offensive side of the ball, but the questions still remain defensively.

The good news? This is a scoring league now.

If you want to win games, you have to be able to score and it’s going to continue to trend more and more that way. That being the case, the Falcons are set to have a lethal offense and if you can score points, anything can happen.

We’re not saying this team will be a Super Bowl contender, but they certainly could make some noise and net a few wins that they weren’t able to pick up last year.

dark. Next. Richie Grant could be next Antoine Winfield Jr.

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