The 2025 NFL Draft is three weeks away (April 24-27). This year's event marks the fifth for Atlanta Falcons General Manager Terry Fontenot.
Four classes are enough to get a good idea of what kind of drafter Fontenot is. We have seen players develop with the franchise, while others have continued their careers elsewhere. Let's look at each slate of draftees and assign a grade to each year.
Atlanta Falcons GM Terry Fontenot's Draft grades
2021:
- 1.4: Kyle Pitts, TE
- 2.40: Richie Grant, S
- 3.68: Jalen Mayfield, OG
- 4.108: Darren Hall, CB
- 4.114: Drew Dalman, C
- 5.148: Ta'Quon Graham, DT
- 5.182: Ade Ogundeji, DL
- 5.183: Avery Williams, CB
- 6.187: Frank Darby, WR
This is a rough one, that is for sure. I don't think anyone can reasonably say it deserves anything better than a 'D+.'
We still don't know what Kyle Pitts can be. Hopefully, things will improve with quarterback stability. From there, Richie Grant had a rough tenure, Jalen Mayfield was about as bad as it gets, and Darren Hall did very little.
Drew Dalman is the only gem here, but he is now gone. Ta'Quon Graham has been solid, and Avery Williams was good, but the same cannot be said about Ade Ogundeji and Frank Darby.
Grade: D-
2022:
- 1.8: Drake London, WR
- 2.38: Arnold Ebiketie, OLB
- 2.58: Troy Andersen, LB
- 3.74: Desmond Ridder, QB
- 3.82: DeAngelo Malone, OLB
- 5.151: Tyler Allgeier, RB
- 6.190: Justin Shaffer, OG
- 6.213: John FitzPatrick, TE
You have to start by giving Terry Fontenot credit for selecting Drake London. Coming off a significant injury, the pick was far from safe, but time has proven it to be a home run.
Arnold Ebiketie and Troy Andersen still have untapped potential. Ebiketie looked good late last season, and his fellow second-round pick needs to find a way to stay healthy.
We know how the Desmond Ridder pick aged; it was a tough Draft to need a quarterback, and luckily, they didn't waste a higher pick on one. DeAngelo Malone is an interesting evaluation, we saw him log two sacks in primetime last season.
Tyler Allgeier proved to be the diamond in the rough. He broke the team's rookie rushing record and has been a phenomenal player. With that being said, the same cannot be said about the two sixth-round picks. Nevertheless, this was an alright draft, all things considered.
Grade: B-
2023:
- 1.8: Bijan Robinson, RB
- 2.38: Matt Bergeron, OG
- 3.75: Zach Harrison, DL
- 4.113: Clark Phillips, CB
- 7.224: DeMarcco Hellams, S
- 7.225: Jovaughn Gwyn, C
You have to love the impact of the top two picks in 2023. Bijan Robinson has the potential to be a Hall of Famer one day, and all Matt Bergeron has done is play 2,234 snaps and start all 34 games.
The next three picks are all interesting for their own reasons. Zach Harrison has flashed, Clark Phillips has been good playing the outside and will now move inside, and DeMarcco Hellams played quality snaps as a rookie and should be a quality backup coming off his season-ending injury last year.
You also have Jovaughn Gwyn, who has managed to stick around despite playing zero offensive and three special teams snaps.
The mid-round picks still need time to develop, but it appears Fontenot landed a couple of excellent starters (potentially three if Phillips excels inside) and quality rotational/depth pieces.
Grade: B+
2024:
- 1.8: Michael Penix Jr., QB
- 2.35: Ruke Orhorhoro, DT
- 3.74: Bralen Trice, OLB
- 4.109: Brandon Dorlus, DL
- 5.143: JD Bertrand, LB
- 6.186: Jase McClellan, RB
- 6.187: Casey Washington, WR
- 6.197: Zion Logue, DL
This is by far the hardest Draft to evaluate, and it isn't just because it is the most recent. There are so many weird and unique situations with these players.
Michael Penix Jr., based on what we saw late last season, looks to be a slam dunk. Whenever a team can land a franchise passer in a Draft, it immediately becomes a successful Draft. Nevertheless, only time will tell with Penix.
Ruke Orhorhoro had an injury-marred rookie season but will now be expected to take over for Grady Jarrett. The talent is obvious, but so are the questions. The next pick, Bralen Trice, is an 'incomplete' after a season-ending preseason injury.
Brandon Dorlus saw little action. JD Bertrand's increase in playing time allowed him to flash. Jase McClellan and Casey Washington only saw action in garbage time. And, finally, Zion Logue was poached off the practice squad early last season.
The issue with this class is the lack of playing time. It was a major talking point early in the season, and based on that, you can't give it anything more than an average grade, and that feels generous. With that being said, this class will become an instant hit if Michael Penix becomes what we think he can be.