Looking at the 2022 Atlanta Falcons season two players clearly had breakout campaigns for a team that yet again was just a step short of contending finishing 7-10 for the second straight season.
Drake London was clearly the right pick for Atlanta establishing himself as the primary receiver early on in the season despite playing with Marcus Mariota and a rookie in Desmond Ridder. Add in the fact that Arthur Smith is completely focused on establishing the run and Drake London’s 866 receiving yards look all the more impressive.
London is clearly a building block for the team moving forward and showed solid chemistry with current starting quarterback Desmond Ridder.
Without any question, the most surprising and impressive season from an Atlanta Falcons player came from rookie running back Tyler Allgeier. Allgeier started the season as the third option and ended the year with over 1,000 rushing yards as the clear starter.
Who will be the next Atlanta Falcons draft pick to take the leap forward in the 2023 season? Here are the four most likely candidates who are just a step away.
1. Arnold Ebiketie
Looking at the Atlanta Falcons roster searching for a source of a pass rush Arnold Ebiketie stands out. Watching back the 2022 season often Ebiketie was a step away from making the play and one of the few Atlanta pass rushers who seemed to give consistent effort and create pressure.
Ebiketie finished with only 2.5 sacks and 11 quarterback hits in the 2022 season though the edge rusher did force two fumbles. Under Ryan Nielsen and Jerry Gray with better coaching and more depth added both to the middle of the line and edge rushers Ebiketie is going to take a huge leap forward.
Double-digit sacks shouldn’t be out of the question for the second-year pass rusher who has the ability to be a great pass rusher with better coaching and more help around him. It shouldn’t be a surprise if Ebiketie works his way into the starting lineup with a new addition at the opposite edge and new help for Grady Jarrett on the inside. Ebiketie is going to be part of the solution for an Atlanta pass rush that has been the biggest source of the team’s struggles on defense for the past three seasons.
2. Desmond Ridder
With each watch-through of Atlanta’s final four games the feeling that Desmond Ridder is the next franchise quarterback grows stronger. The rookie quarterback improved in each game and though the numbers weren’t impressive made plays against both New Orleans and Baltimore that gave his team a chance to steal a win.
Ridder was thrown into the final four games without his best weapon in Kyle Pitts and very little help at receiver outside of Drake London. Bring in a true second option at receiver and with Kyle Pitts healthy and Ridder will take a huge step forward if the second-year quarterback wins the starting job.
Perhaps due to wanting to see Ridder primarily as a passer the offense failed to use Desmond as a scrambler as they did with Mariota running read options or designed quarterback runs. While Ridder isn’t quite the scrambler Mariota has been throughout his career he is more than capable as a scrambler allowing Smith to run many of the designed plays he had for Mariota but this time with a quarterback capable of making the pass if running room isn’t there.
3. Troy Andersen
There is a good chance the Falcons opt to spend in free agency and the draft fixing the back end of their secondary and looking to address the pass rush. These should be the priorities meaning at the linebacker spot the Falcons could very well run it back and look for their young players to step up with new opportunities.
Andersen will be at the center of that discussion as a player who shows all of the effort needed to be given a larger role in the 2023 defense.
Already Ryan Nielsen has discussed how excited the new Atlanta coach is to have Andersen a part of this defense. It seems very probable Nielsen is going to give Andersen a chance to run the middle of the Atlanta defense with the team needing to replace veteran Rashaan Evans who is set to hit free agency.
Andersen finished his rookie season with 69 total tackles including two for a loss and a forced fumble. It was a solid start to a player who is going to be asked to take a huge step forward for a defense that will be focused on adding talent to the defensive line and in the secondary creating a huge opportunity for Andersen in 2023.
4. Avery Williams
This will be Avery Williams’ second season in the Atlanta Falcons offense after starting his career as a defensive back. Williams is a great piece for the Falcons considering his ability to return kicks, play running back, or in an injury crisis switch back to defense.
A breakout season for Williams isn’t going to be in the stat sheet every week but in the Williams value due to positional flexibility and the plays he will create as a kick returner.
Avery averaged 5 yards per carry in his first season as a running back giving Avery a chance to compete for the third spot behind Allgeier and Patterson in the 2023 season. In Arthur Smith’s offense, the third running back spot will be far more important than on most rosters with Avery having the chance to make a consistent impact.
Williams did more than enough to lock up a roster spot heading into 2023. Now the utility player is set to take a huge step forward as the Falcons make a push to contend in 2023.