Falcons' league-worst rookie class quickly becoming joke of the NFL

While the Atlanta Falcons were excoriated up and down for their selection of Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr. eighth overall in the 2025 NFL Draft, the shock of that pick has overshadowed the fact that Terry Fontenot appears to have made several more picks that could be on the verge of flopping.

Fontenot used three picks on defensive tackles in second-rounder Ruke Orhorhoro, fourth-round tweener Brandon Dorlus, and sixth-round choice Zion Logue. Pass rusher Bralen Trice (third round) and linebacker JD Bertrand (fifth round) were followed by two sixth-round skill position players in running back Jase McClellan and wide receiver Casey Washington.

While the Falcons are admittedly aiming for a deep postseason run, a feat that can be increasingly hard to accomplish when rookies play important roles on either side of the ball, Atlanta has seen literally no contribution from their first-year players. What is Raheem Morris doing?

As pointed out by Gregg Rosenthal, the Falcons are the only team who do not have any snaps on offense or defense by rookies. To make matters worse, much-hyped picks like Orhorhoro and Dorlus have been healthy scratches. If Penix isn't a franchise quarterback, this could be an all-time bad draft class.

Falcons rookie class has 0 snaps on offense or defense

Penix is only going to play in emergencies or blowouts, and Trice was ruled out before the year began with his ACL tear. Outside of those exceptions, none of the Falcons' rookies are so much as even threatening to move the needle.

Orhorhoro is the most concerning miss so far, as he was added to be a game-changer instantly. So far, he has impacted the game as often as you and I. Dorlus is starting to look like a tweener, as he lacks the speed to win against NFL tackles while being too slow for full-time DT work.

McClellan and Washington are buried on the depth chart, and Bertrand is only useful for special teams at the moment. Logue didn't even make the 53-man roster, as he is now on the practice squad. Like many Falcons teams of yesteryear, this is an older bunch without many role players stepping up.

While previous draft pick hits like Bijan Robinson and Drake London will be able to carry most of the load in this season, the fact Fontenot seems to have totally whiffed on some of his premium picks could make it very hard for Atlanta to sustain their success.