2019 Draft Grades: Atlanta Falcons

Share This Post

Now that the 2019 NFL Draft is in the books, I’m looking around the SoBros footprint and weighing in on teams of our regional interest. That includes the Atlanta Falcons. They just haven’t been the same since blowing that massive lead in the Super Bowl two years ago. After addressing the offensive line in free agency, I thought for sure they’d go defense early in this year’s draft, but they proved me wrong.

Atlanta Falcons Draft Grades 2019

Round 1 (19): Chris Lindstrom, OG Boston College – I understand that both Ed Oliver and Christian Wilkins were off the board here. It was way too early to go Jerry Tillery, and the Falcons need a DT that can come in and play right away. That ruled out Jeffery Simmons. Even though they signed James Carpenter and Jamon Brown, the Falcons felt it necessary to get a guy who could end up being the best guard out of this draft class.

Matt Ryan was sacked a veritable fuck ton last season. It is absolutely imperative that he stays upright, and for the running game to get a little juice for that matter, for this offense to function. The Falcons are clearly making that a priority. Grade: B. Great player, just would’ve rather seen a defensive play-maker go here.

Round 1 (31): Kaleb McGary, OT Washington – See above. Except what I don’t like about this pick is trading up to get him. Sure, he could end up being the starting RT if he can unseat Ty Sambrailo, but this meant the Falcons wouldn’t address the defense until Round 4. Grade: C.

Round 4 (111): Kendall Sheffield, CB Ohio State – ESPN had Sheffield rated #99 overall so this is a good value, and it’s my favorite pick of the Falcons draft. He could come in and be an immediate impact player because of his combination of size, speed, explosiveness, and physical play. Grade: A+.

Round 4 (135): John Cominsky, DE Charleston – *grumbles* – I don’t know about this one, y’all. The Falcons finally address the pass rush in the fourth round, but they do so with a guy who wasn’t particularly productive in terms of sacks in 2018. Plus, there are concerns about his level of competition. If the Falcons had grabbed a Montez Sweat or Brian Burns in Round 1, this would make for a nice addition to the developmental pool, but I’m not sure about it as is. Grade: C.

Round 5 (152): Qadree Ollison, RB Pittsburgh – I had a sneaky suspicion the Falcons might address the running back position. They get a guy in Round 5 who is the perfect complement to Devonta Freeman. Grade: A.

Round 5 (172): Jordan Miller, CB Washington – Good size, good instincts, good tackler – Miller could be a valuable addition to the Falcons defensive back rotation. Grade: B.

Round 6 (203): Marcus Green, WR Louisiana-Monroe – This is not a knock on Green. There are plenty of teams in need of a speedy slot guy who this would’ve been an A+ pick for. The Falcons are not one of them with the receiving corps they currently have. I’m confused by this one. Grade: D.

Grade: C

I love the additions of Sheffield and Lindstrom. But, waiting until Round 4 to grab another pass rusher and then taking a player who seems like more of a developmental project than immediate contributor seems a little questionable to me. I liked the value of getting Ollison and Miller late, but the Green pick was downright baffling to me. Also, don’t think I would’ve pulled the trigger on the trade to get McGary and taken my chances. As always, there’s a reason the Falcons brass are drafting football players and I’m sitting in my recliner complaining about it. Maybe they prove me wrong, but this is about as mediocre a draft as I could’ve imagined beforehand.

More 2019 NFL Draft Coverage

An Alabama Player Goes In The First Round For The 11th Consecutive Year
Christian Wilkins ’Bout Knocked The Damn Toupee Off Roger Goodell
Pat Shurmur Got That ‘Daniel Jones Bout To Cost Me My Job’ Glow
Winners And Losers From The First Round Of The 2019 NFL Draft

Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network. He is a strong supporter of Team GSD and #BeBetter. “Big Natural” covers the Tennessee Titans, Alabama Crimson Tide football, the WWE, and a whole wealth of nonsense. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley

Check out the SoBros Shop. Subscribe to our Patreon. Give us money for no reason. Like us on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter @SoBrosNetwork. Listen on SoundCloud. Watch on YouTube.

Image: ccompton@ajc.com/Curtis Compton

Subscribe To Our Newsletter

Get updates and learn from the best

More To Explore