A-
Atlanta Falcons
A masterclass at the trade table lands the Falcons a A-.
by clp4305 ·
2024 NFL Draft
· 23 picks
· 4 steals
· 9 reaches
The Falcons did not so much draft Sincere Haynesworth as overpay for him, 74 picks clear of his grade. It sets an uneasy tone for the weekend.
They banked enough surplus on Lovett to cover a lot of smaller sins. The trade ledger is the best part of the whole weekend.
It is a haul that will look even better come September.
Pick-by-Pick
Brandon Dorlus at Round 2, Pick 24 is neither steal nor reach, just the going rate. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.
No drama and no debate, Ladd McConkey went about where he belonged in the 57th overall pick. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
Carson Beck at No. 75 is a clear overpay, with better names still on the board. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
A top-tier wide receiver at a bargain, Ja'Lynn Polk in the 80th pick, plain and simple. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
Adisa Isaac in the Round 3 slot is a reach so steep the board needed a second look to believe it. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
Danny Stutsman at pick No. 103 is a sensible buy, a touch better than market for the linebacker. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
They paid sticker price for Zach Frazier in slot 124, and that is fine. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
No edge and no loss on Cedric Gray in No. 140; it is a wash and a sensible one. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
Darius Robinson at pick No. 148 is the kind of overdraft that needs everything to break right. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
Caden Prieskorn in the 153rd overall pick is a bet on their own eyes over everyone else's grade. A need, and now a little less of one.
Miyan Williams at the Round 5 slot is a sound buy, the sort that quietly helps a class. It fills a real need, too.
A premium they did not need to pay, Tre Harris a notch or two before his time. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
They reached a country mile for Sincere Haynesworth at the 189th pick, and the board is aghast. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
A tidy bit of business in Round 6, Pick 15, where Jaylan Ford graded well above the range. The roster fit checks out.
A market-rate defensive back, with the board and the slot shaking hands on Chau Smith-Wade. Hard to map this one onto the depth chart at all.
They took DeWayne Carter at par in the Round 6 slot, which is nothing to complain about. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
Shemar Turner at slot 203 is the sort of value that quietly wins a weekend. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
Circle this one: Dominic Lovett at the 232nd pick is a fall that decides a draft. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
A wild overpay on Jalen Berger in the 235th overall pick, the sort that defines a class for the wrong reasons. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
Jalen Milroe in No. 237 is exactly on the number, no argument either way. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
By-the-book stuff, Brant Kuithe at Round 7, Pick 24 squarely in line with his ranking. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
Zakhari Franklin at pick No. 253 is a conviction pick that outran the value. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
They left a pile of value on the table to take Chris Morris this early at pick No. 256. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.