Revisiting the Atlanta Falcons 2011 NFL Draft

The Falcons shocked the entire league when they traded up in the 2011 NFL Draft. Who was the pick?

The pick: Julio Jones, Wide Receiver, 6th overall

Their impact: Since being drafted, Jones has been an absolute stud.

He’s caught 585 passes for 9,054 yards and 43 touchdowns.

Jones has four straight seasons with more than 1,400 yards and nearly got 2,000 yards in 2015.

He is one of the two best wide receivers in the league, and he’s the best player on the Falcons team.

Since being drafted, Julio has been a No. 1 option, and this was a smart pickup for the team.

Who else was available that round?: The 2011 NFL Draft was stacked.

We won’t look into the five players drafted before Julio, but all five are Pro Bowlers.

Tyron Smith is one of the best left tackles in the league, and the Cowboys got him at 9th overall.

JJ Watt went two picks later and has been one of the best defenders in the league.

He has dealt with injury issues lately, but the beginning of his career was special.

Robert Quinn, Ryan Kerrigan, Cam Jordan, Cam Heyward, and Mo Wilkerson all went in the first round, and each one has gone to a Pro Bowl.

Would they switch the pick?: Based on prior redrafts? Yes.

Our team is already stacked at wide receiver, so I think they go with Smith here.

Smith is a truly special left tackle, and he’d be a great piece for the Falcons.

This will obviously prevent the team from drafting Jake Matthews, but we’ll get to that later.

If we were only focusing on this specific year, the Falcons would 100% keep Julio, but based on our redrafts, Smith is the better option.