The NFL Combine begins in a couple of days, featuring this year’s top draft prospects hoping to set themselves apart with both their athletic abilities and mental acumen when sitting down with teams as a part of individual interviews. But for Falcons fans, it’s also an opportunity to hear from general manager Terry Fontenot and head coach Raheem Morris again regarding the team’s approach heading into such a pivotal offseason.
As things currently stand, the Falcons don’t have a lot of resources to upgrade their roster. They’re currently in the red when it comes to available cap space, and they only have five draft picks this year. That’s not a lot of wiggle room when considering the defense needs to be completely overhauled for the Falcons to really compete next year.
That has to be the focal point of Atlanta’s offseason, and if there is any silver lining, most draft analysts and even Falcons GM Terry Fontenot believe this year’s draft class is “loaded defensively.”
Terry Fontenot says there won’t be 14 players who come off the board before the first defensive player is taken. Says this draft is “loaded defensively.”
— Will McFadden (@willmcfadden) February 25, 2025
In Mel Kiper’s latest mock draft, seven of the first 15 picks are defensive players, including explosive pass rusher Mike Green, who he has mocked to the Falcons. Overall, Kiper had 16 defensive players go in the first round, but the draft on that side of the ball — particularly across the defensive line — is even deeper than that outside of the first round.
That’s a promising sign for the Falcons, who really have to use most of their resources overhauling a pass rush unit that has been among the worst in the league for two decades. That’s not a typo, either. Atlanta has not finished inside the top 10 in sacks since 2004, usually finishing in the bottom third of the league. That has to change if Atlanta wants to get back to the postseason for the first time since the 2017 season, and it starts with this year’s NFL Draft class.
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Photographer: Zach Bolinger/Icon Sportswire
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