FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — This Falcons front office has never been in the market of doing things the conventional way.
Since Terry Fontenot took over as general manager in 2021, the Falcons have zagged when everyone else zigged when it comes to draft strategy, particularly in the first round.
And with every pick the Falcons made, conventional wisdom went further out the door, and everyone took notice.
No tight end has ever been taken at No. 4 overall? They go get Kyle Pitts.
“The Falcons had a tough choice here: Invest in the long-term future and draft a quarterback, or go for the gusto in 2021 and give soon-to-be-36-year-old signal-caller Matt Ryan another talented pass-catching weapon,” The Ringer’s Danny Kelly wrote in 2021. “They went with the latter.”
Drake London wasn’t the top-rated wide receiver in his draft class by some draft analyst? Atlanta takes him off the board first.
“London is a big receiver, but he doesn’t run that well. This is a team that needed to add more speed. I would have taken Garrett Wilson in this spot. He would have given them more of an immediate impact,” CBS Sports’ Pete Prisco wrote in 2022. “London is good. But there were better options.”
The Athletic’s Sheil Kapadia: “I’m not there with London.
“This could be one that makes me look foolish down the road, but I would have preferred Jameson Williams or Garrett Wilson here if the Falcons wanted to go wide receiver.”
No one would dare take a running back in the top 10; not at their valuation and short expected longevity. The Falcons — along with the Lions and Jahmyr Gibbs and the Eagles and Saquon Barkley — usher in a running back renaissance.
“This is way too high for a back, even if he’s a really good player. Backs don’t decide Super Bowls. … History isn’t kind to this type of move. I don’t like it because of position value,” Prisco, again in 2023. “Good player, bad position.”
The Sporting News’ Vinnie Iyer: “Robinson has great potential as an explosive feature workhorse and was first-round worthy. He will be productive early, but the bottom line is Atlanta isn’t a team that could afford to use such high capital on an already good rushing attack.”
Then, last year, there’s the shock of the draft: Atlanta drafts Michael Penix Jr. with the No. 8 overall pick after picking up Kirk Cousins in free agency. They double dip, hoping to shore up their future.
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