Atlanta Falcons: Prioritizing 2016 NFL Draft needs
By John Buhler
The Atlanta Falcons have five picks in the 2016 NFL Draft and will have to address several needs from primary to tertiary to build a better football team.
The Atlanta Falcons have a ton of pressure on them in the 2016 NFL Draft. Atlanta has not had a winning season in three years and has not played in a playoff game since the 2012 NFC Championship Game.
The first year of the Dan Quinn era in Atlanta had the Falcons finish the year at 8-8. Atlanta started the year 5-0 only to lose six of its next seven games. The offensive line was the most pleasant surprise of the 2015 season, but the passing game was the most disappointing.
Atlanta only has five picks in the 2016 NFL Draft, as the Falcons lost their 2016 fifth round pick due to the embarrassing Noisegate Scandal and traded away their sixth round pick to acquire starting left guard Andy Levitre.
While Atlanta will certainly have to address some of these issues through free agency, general manager Thomas Dimitroff is feeling the brunt of the pressure, as he has continually whiffed on mid-round draft selections. With the personnel department overhauled this offseason with the hiring of two former general managers Phil Emery (Chicago Bears) and Ruston Webster (Tennessee Titans), Dimitroff has no excuse to not execute in this year’s NFL Draft.
As the NFL Draft is clearly on the minds of all teams not playing for a Super Bowl this weekend, let’s look at what the Atlanta Falcons need in terms of position. From tertiary needs to primary draft needs, here we go.
Next: Tertiary Needs