Leading up to the NFL Draft, SIS will be publishing team previews for those with Top 10 picks in the draft. Each preview will look at the players who most make sense for that team at that selection based on stats and scouting factors and will include quotes from that player’s scouting report.
You can find more than 300 scouting reports and much more team analysis at our NFL Draft website.
The State of the Falcons:
The Falcons are entering into year three of the Terry Fontenot and Arthur Smith General Manager-Head Coach pairing. Year 3 is often a make it or break it season for an NFL Head Coach, as the average tenure for a NFL coach is 3.2 seasons, according to Guiding Metrics. With the NFC South perceived to be wide open, this could be a window of opportunity for the Falcons to reach the playoffs for the first time since 2017.
The Falcons have added some valuable weapons to the offensive side of the ball through the draft the last two seasons in Kyle Pitts, Drake London and Tyler Allgeier. Even with the Falcons success on offense, the defensive side of the ball has been less than stellar. They did add some key veterans in safety Jesse Bates, and defensive lineman Calais Campbell and David Onyemata, but could benefit even more by adding some young elite defensive prospects as well.
#8 Overall
The Falcons are entering into year three of the Terry Fontenot and Arthur Smith General Manager-Head Coach pairing. Year three is often a make it or break it season for an NFL Head Coach, as the average tenure for a NFL coach is 3.2 seasons, according to Guiding Metrics. With the NFC South perceived to be wide open, this could be a window of opportunity for the Falcons to reach the playoffs for the first time since 2017.
The Falcons have added some valuable weapons to the offensive side of the ball through the draft the last two seasons in Kyle Pitts, Drake London and Tyler Allgeier. Even with the Falcons success on offense the defensive side of the ball has been less than stellar to say the least. They did add some key veterans in safety Jesse Bates, and defensive lineman Calais Campbell and David Onyemata, but could benefit even more by adding some young elite defensive prospects as well.
#8 Overall
There are almost no flaws in Carter’s on-field play and with an increased effort and professionalism combined with his ability to force teams to change gameplans, he can put himself in the NFL DPOY discussion every year.
The off the field concerns have started to lower Carter’s floor to be selected in this draft, and if he makes it down to the 8th pick it would be difficult for Atlanta to pass up. Carter’s combination of explosiveness and power would immediately strengthen the interior of the Falcons defensive front.
Smith is a supremely athletic prospect with elite speed and explosive ability to go with eye-opening strength held together by good football intelligence and a very disciplined game overall.
Terry Fontenot and the Falcons value elite athletes in the first round, and there aren’t many more in this class outside of Smith. The Georgia native would bring a different body type and skill set to a subpar edge group.
Tyree Wilson – Edge – Texas Tech
Wilson is a long, strong power rusher who can rush the quarterback and defend the run, but a lack of speed and agility may be traits that hold him back early in his career.
Wilson has a towering frame with a long wingspan to match. The Falcons recently signed seasoned veteran Calais Campbell who has a similar size and athletic profile to Wilson, and Campbell could serve as a mentor to the young athletic edge rusher.
Anthony Richardson – Quarterback – Florida
Richardson is the full package talent wise with the dual-threat ability and arm strength coveted at the next level, but he will need to refine his mechanics and simplify his decision-making to be a more consistent player.
This is the offensive wild-card selection of the group the Falcons could target. Continuing the theme of elite athletes, Richardson is one of the most athletic quarterback prospects in draft history. While the Falcons did just draft Desmond Ridder in the 3rd round a season ago, Richardson’s athleticism would be a match made in heaven in Arthur Smith’s offense.
To learn more about the Falcons and their needs, visit their team page on our NFL Draft website here. (https://nfldraft.sportsinfosolutions.com/nfl-draft/teams/atlanta-falcons)
