Atlanta Falcons top draft choices answer some roster questions

Atlanta Falcons 74th overall pick: Desmond Ridder, QB (Cincinnati)

YES. Yes. A million times yes.

Okay, maybe not a million, but it’s a definite step in the right direction.

After the only quarterback taken in the first two rounds was Kenny Pickett to Pittsburgh, the Falcons, like many other teams, were in a prime position to select one of these raw prospects with a lot of upside in the right setting.

Could they go with Malik Willis? Maybe Sam Howell? Or Matt Corral, who they were linked to entering the second round?

Nope. Instead, they opt for Ridder, the young signal-caller out of Cincinnati who just led the Bearcats to the first-ever berth from a Group of Five team to the College Football Playoff. Yes, he got shellacked by the Crimson Tide, but give the young man credit. A few years prior, he entered the program fresh off of UCF declaring themselves “national champions”, and in his senior campaign, he does what UCF couldn’t: prove that they deserved a chance to compete with the big boys.

Forget the helmet, folks. Ridder had over 10,000 passing yards against some high-name competition, and in practice had to go up against the “Sauce”. Starting in 48 of the 50 games played for the Bearcats, Ridder’s 3:1 TD:INT ratio shows a player who doesn’t take risks and finds receivers routinely for good chunk yards.

This pick is phenomenal for a year-long sit and learning of Arthur Smith’s system, then taking the helm in 2023.

Great pick Atlanta.

Grade for Ridder: A-

Atlanta Falcons 82nd overall pick: DeAngelo Malone, EDGE (WKU)

The Falcons took a homegrown kid to end the second day of the draft. Okay, maybe not a Georgia player, but an Atlanta native in Malone, who was compared to a “baby Brian Burns” by NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah.

Malone’s five years as a player for the Hilltoppers demonstrated a leader on the defensive side of the ball while also taking home Conference USA Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2019, becoming the first player in WKU history to earn that honor. Even more impressive? He continued to trend upwards, even earning a second Conference USA Defensive Player of the Year award in 2021.

However, at the Senior Bowl, Malone shined, earning the MVP honors behind six tackles, two quarterback hurries, and half a sack. There, scouts and coaches alike raved about his quickness off the line and ability to enter the backfield despite being a little smaller than most linebackers.

The Falcons took a solid pick in a good range here, and Malone returns home to the team he and his family rooted for his entire life.

Grade for Malone: B-

Ending the second day, the Falcons nabbed two EDGE rushers, a potential athletic nightmare, and a possible quarterback of the future.

DAY TWO GRADE FOR ATLANTA FALCONS: B