Atlanta Falcons: This draft class will define Terry Fontenot era

It may feel like a new era just barely started for the Atlanta Falcons but it is already time to start talking about how important this upcoming draft will be for the future of the organization.

Terry Fontenot will be under a lot of pressure as the draft approaches. He overlooks a roster that is decimated and needs a lot of starting-caliber players across the board. It will be important to his future success, and the success of the team as a whole, to be able to find those much-needed starters through the draft.

This draft class will determine the Falcons’ fate for the next few years

It cannot be overstated how important the NFL draft is to each organization, most teams find their star players through the selection process, and it is much of the reason why the Falcons have struggled over the past few years.

Just look at all the misses Atlanta has had over the previous few drafts. Guys like Takkarist McKinley, Duke Riley, Sean Harlow, Deadrin Senat, Kaleb McGary, Kendall Sheffield, and many other players have been busts.

As a franchise, one draft mess up can set you back years or it can pull you out of a grave.

Look at what the Falcons 2016 draft did for the team, it essentially sent them to the Super Bowl. While it is unrealistic to put those expectations on any general manager, Fontenot still needs to deliver a group that compares to that 2016 class.

Who knows, maybe a superb draft class could send this team to the Super Bowl in the next few years, you just never know. No one expected the Falcons to make it in 2016, but they did.

Whether Fontenot decides to trade up, down, or stay put with the eighth pick in the draft, he must find numerous starting players for this team to be successful in a couple years.