Recapping the Atlanta Falcons 2015 Draft

As the NFL Draft quickly approaches, it seems like the perfect time to start reliving the Atlanta Falcons draft classes from the past ten years. We’ll look into their hits, their misses, who they should have drafted, and a fun fact about every draft class.

This eleven-part series will end with a full recap of the Falcons 2023 draft with information on their picks, how they might impact the team in its upcoming season, and draft grades for the team’s choices as well.

Vic Beasley (1st – 8th Overall) – The curious case of Vic Beasley. The first-round pick looked like a star in his second season after totaling 15.5 sacks but was out of the league by 2020. Some folks might view Beasley as a bust after the expectations of being such a high pick, but he started sixty games for the Atlanta Falcons and had over 150 tackles, 37 sacks, and 12 forced fumbles.

Jalen Collins (2nd – 42nd Overall) – Compared to Beasley, Jalen Collins was an absolute bust for the Falcons. He dealt with numerous suspensions throughout his career and lasted less than three full seasons in Atlanta. Between Collins and Ra'Shede Hageman the year beforehand, the Falcons clearly dropped the ball two years in a row with their second-round picks.

Near Miss: Three picks after the Atlanta Falcons took Jalen Collins, the Minnesota Vikings took linebacker, Eric Kendricks. After starting over 113 games for the Vikings and racking up over 919 tackles since being drafted, the Falcons clearly dropped the ball with their choice here.

Tevin Coleman (3rd – 73rd Overall) – After previously drafting Devonta Freeman, the Falcons took Tevin Coleman to be a change-of-pace back within their explosive offense. Luckily for them, Coleman was the perfect fit for the role and rushed for over 2,000 yards, had over 1,000 receiving yards, and scored 29 touchdowns.

Justin Hardy (4th – 107th Overall) – After a dominant career at East Carolina, there was hope Hardy could be a complimentary piece for the Falcons' offense. After totaling less than 1,000 career receiving yards, the Falcons probably wish they had done more research on Stefon Diggs during his time at Maryland.

Grady Jarrett (5th – 137th Overall) – One of the best late-round picks from the Atlanta Falcons in recent years, Jarrett is still a key piece on the defensive side of the ball and has racked up 420 tackles, 32.5 sacks, and has played in 127 games since being drafted. This is clearly one of the best value picks from the entire 2015 Draft.

Jake Rodgers (7th – 225 Overall) – Rodgers never played for the Falcons. The San Francisco 49ers drafted Trent Brown later in the 7th round and although his career could have turned out much different in Atlanta, he’s started over 80 games in his career and made a Pro Bowl in 2019.

Akeem King (7th – 249th Overall) – King lasted two seasons in Atlanta but never made an impact.