D
Atlanta Falcons
Grand theft in the Round 7 slot: the Falcons steal Roberts and grade out a D.
by Timk4539 ·
2024 NFL Draft
· 12 picks
· 5 steals
· 1 reaches
The phones were a trap the Falcons kept walking into, shipping out surplus on nearly every deal. The math is unkind, and the D follows.
Every board in the league had Carlies lower, and that gap is the story. Leaving quarterback unaddressed is the roster risk they will have to answer for in the fall.
Roberts at that cost is the sort of edge that compounds over a roster. They went 6 of 8 on their needs, which is most of what a draft is for.
Bottom line, they will need several of these picks to beat their grades just to break even, and quarterback is still a hole.
Pick-by-Pick
In pick No. 17 they get a No. 1 receiver at fair value. It fills the loudest need on the roster.
Chop Robinson at Round 2, Pick 4 is daylight robbery; nobody expected him to last. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.
You do not let an offensive lineman like Amarius Mims reach the 41st pick and blink. They did not. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
No drama and no debate, Mekhi Wingo went about where he belonged in No. 67. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
Cooper DeJean at pick 73 is the sort of value that quietly wins a weekend. A minor itch, scratched.
Tommy Eichenberg in slot 104 is fair value, right on his grade. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
Luke Lachey at the Round 4 slot is a sound buy, the sort that quietly helps a class. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
By-the-book stuff, Antwaun Powell-Ryland at pick 146 squarely in line with his ranking. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
A wide receiver of that caliber at the 187th overall pick is the definition of value, full stop. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
A big swing on Jaylon Carlies at slot 206, well ahead of any board in the building. Depth more than a fix, but depth they can use.
A tidy little value on Francisco Mauigoa in Round 7, Pick 10, a step better than break-even. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
Willie Roberts at the 249th pick is a first-round grade at a bargain-bin price, no notes. It is more luxury than necessity; they were already set here.