FLOWERY BRANCH — For the first time in his tenure, Falcons general manager Terry Fontenot will not have a pick in the top 10 of the NFL draft, which is set for Thursday through Saturday in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
Over the past four drafts, the Falcons selected tight end Kyle Pitts (2021, fourth overall), wide receiver Drake London (’22, eighth), running back Bijan Robinson (’23, eighth) and quarterback Michael Penix Jr. (’24, eighth).
The Falcons, looking for pass-rush help, are set to pick 15th overall in the first round. The Falcons also have picks in the second round (46th) and fourth round (118th) and two in the seventh round (218th and 242nd).
The Falcons are a little short on picks because they traded their third-round pick to New England in August for outside linebacker Matthew Judon.
Also, the Falcons forfeited their fifth-round pick after being found guilty for violating the league’s tampering rules in the signings of quarterback Kirk Cousins, tight end Charlie Woerner and wide receiver Darnell Mooney.
In October 2023, they traded their sixth-round pick to the Rams for Van Jefferson.
The Falcons have been working to improve the pass rush for decades, dating to when Thomas Dimitroff was general manager.
Under Fontenot, the franchise has elected to add offensive weapons in the first round of the draft, while bypassing defenders. In 2021, they could have selected linebacker Micah Parsons, who went 12th to the Cowboys.
In 2022, former Georgia defensive tackle Jordan Davis was the next defensive player taken after London. He went 13th overall to the Eagles.
In 2023, the Falcons elected to take Robinson with former Georgia defensive tackle Jalen Carter going to the Eagles with the following pick.
Parsons has been chosen for the Pro Bowl four times, and Carter and Davis were key players in the Eagles’ run to the Super Bowl championship this past season.
In 2024, the Falcons flipped the draft on its head by taking Penix just months after signing Kirk Cousins to a four-year contract worth up to $180 million. The Colts took linebacker Laiatu Latu with the 15th overall pick.
Jared Verse, who went on to win the defensive rookie-of-the-year award by The Associated Press and Pro Football Writers of America, was selected by the Rams with the 19th overall pick.
Under the direction of first-year NFL defensive coordinator Jimmy Lake, the defense, which featured a 3-4 base alignment, was inconsistent and collapsed down the stretch last season.
The Falcons finished in the bottom half (16th or lower) of the league in three of the four major categories: total yards allowed (345.2, 23rd); passing (224.5 yards, 22nd), rushing yards (120.6, 15th) and points (24.9, 23rd).
Also, the Falcons finished 31st in the league in sacks last season, with only 31.
Lake, a former college head coach and defensive coordinator at Washington, and defensive line coach Jay Rodgers were fired after the season.
Also, the Falcons lost defensive tackle Grady Jarrett, a two-time Pro Bowler, to the Bears in free agency.
Several pass rushers could be available when the Falcons are slated to pick at 15, including Marshall’s Mike Green, Georgia’s Mykel Williams, Texas A&M’s Shemar Stewart and Tennessee’s James Pearce. Penn State’s Abdul Carter and Georgia’s Jalon Walker are expected to go in the top 10.
“I’m curious to see ... Shemar Stewart from Texas A&M is easily the most polarizing edge rusher in this draft,” NFL Network draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah said when asked about the pass rushers by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “I mean, he is the ultimate example of traits versus production.”
Stewart, is 6-foot-5 and 267 pounds, ran the 40-yard dash in 4.59 seconds. He has physical traits, but was not very productive in college. He finished with just 4.5 sacks over 37 games.
“He plays really, really hard,” Jeremiah said. “He would be an interesting one I would keep an eye on. I would not rule it out.”
Stewart’s lack of productivity has some teams puzzled.
“There are teams with wildly different grades on him,” Jeremiah said. “Top-10 grades, second-round grades. That type of a range. I would think he would definitely be in that conversation (at the 15th spot).”
The Falcons have not had a player reach double-digit sacks since Vic Beasley amassed 15.5 in the 2016 season.
The Falcons struggled in the past to add pass rushers. They haven’t had a menacing pass rusher on a regular basis since John Abraham was not re-signed after the 2012 season. He’s finished his career (2000-14) with 133.5 sacks and made the cut from 167 to top 50 players for the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2025.
In 2009, Dimitroff selected defensive tackle Peria Jerry, with Clay Matthews III still available. Jerry played five seasons, while Matthews went on to play 11 seasons and amass 91.5 sacks.
In 2017, the Falcons selected defensive end Takk McKinley with T.J. Watt still available. McKinley has bounced around the league, while Watt has been a seven-time Pro Bowler and has 108 sacks.
Parsons has 52.5 sacks over his first four seasons with the Cowboys.
The Falcons will get another chance to get a pass rusher starting Thursday night.
Credit: Jason Getz/AJC
Credit: Jason Getz/AJC
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