When it comes to the Falcons, Pro Football Focus hit the nail on the head when they said their biggest offseason need is everything. There’s not an area on the roster, outside of potentially running back, that doesn’t need bolstering. But the good news is they were still able to win seven games last season, even with all of their deficiencies, and they now have the second-most cap space in the league and a top ten selection in the draft. The resources are there for the Falcons to make substantial strides heading into next season, but none of that will happen if they don’t have a successful draft.
Terry Fontenot and his best player available strategy have had a mixed bag in his two drafts thus far, but I would say there have been more hits than misses. His two first round picks — Drake London and Kyle Pitts — look like they will be the focal point of Atlanta’s offense for the foreseeable future. Now, everybody expects the Falcons to bolster their defense in the first round of this year’s draft. Given their best player available strategy, that shouldn’t be a foregone conclusion, but there are a lot of defensive players I love that should be on the board when the Falcons are on the clock, and Christian Gonzalez out of Oregon is one of them, who The Draft Network has Atlanta selecting in their latest mock draft.Â
The Falcons stick with Desmond Ridder and build up this roster with high-end talent through the offseason. To call Christian Gonzalez your CB2 is a proud flex. Gonzalez would create one of the better and more frustrating CB duos with A.J. Terrell. Both guys are versatile cover corners with legitimate athleticism to cover a multitude of different types of wide receivers. Good luck throwing outside the numbers against Atlanta!
The Falcons could go in any direction in round one. If they don’t feel Desmond Ridder is the answer long term, a number of quarterbacks could be in play. I also wouldn’t be shocked if they took another offensive player, even Bijan Robinson if they have him as the highest graded prospect on their board.
However, like most fans, I would love to see them find another pillar to their defense. Outside of Grady Jarrett and A.J. Terrell, they don’t have many worthwhile players on that side of the ball. They need help at all three levels, and Gonzalez would be a tremendous option to pair with Terrell in the secondary. He may not be a pass rusher, but having two elite guys on the outside that can cover will make it much easier for the guys up front to sack the quarterback.
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Photo: Michael Wade/Icon Sportswire
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