Why the Atlanta Falcons Do Not Need to Draft Matt Ryan...At Least Not With the Third Overall Pick

I look at many different mock drafts daily, and oftentimes I am intrigued by some people’s opinions. However, I have considerable skepticism of some mock drafts trends. Any time I see Darren McFadden going to Oakland I tend to disregard the mock draft…I am forced to disregard many mock drafts. Also, I disregard mock drafts that have Matt Ryan going to Atlanta…once again I disregard many mock drafts. Atlanta was built around one player and when that player left (more like taken away) the team fell apart. This article is not playing the blame game; I just state this because it means that Atlanta is going through a rebuilding effort. When drafting to rebuild a team, you have to prioritize what your team needs with the talent available and Matt Ryan should not be a priority.

The QB talent on Atlanta’s roster is nothing to be terribly excited about, but it is interesting. Perennial back-up forced to start Joey Harrington should not be counted on. Then the Falcons have former Georgia QB DJ Shockley. Shockley showed some flashes of greatness in his preseason games, but his injury may have hampered his abilities. He could be the young, raw talent needed in Atlanta at QB, but his injury concerns and lack of experience running an NFL offense mean that he should not be counted on. Now Chris Redman has shown the ability to run the Atlanta offense and score touchdowns, 4 in the last game against Seattle. Redman can run the offense while a rookie learns the ins and outs of the offense. Atlanta has stability in Redman and Harrington and dynamic raw talent in Shockley.

The QB talent pool in this draft is rather shallow in the first round. I like Matt Ryan, but throwing 19 interceptions in your senior year does not scream franchise QB or at least 3^rd overall pick. Ryan has a good arm and good mobility, but the Falcons could address a greater need with a more talented player early on. Their D-Line and Offensive Line could use some serious help and with that first pick somebody good in one of those areas will be available. In the second round, the Falcons may have access to Brian Brohm (if Arthur Blank will trust a Louisville player), Joe Flacco (one of my favorite prospects in this draft), and Chad Henne. This QB talent in the second round should convince the Falcons that they can draft elsewhere with the 3^rd Overall.

The Atlanta Falcons need to make great picks in this year’s draft to have any chance at quickly rebuilding. The Falcons already have stability at the QB position and so should not draft Matt Ryan with the 3^rd overall pick. Selecting Jake Long, Glenn Dorsey, or Sedrick Ellis with the 3^rd overall would go a long way towards shoring up some problematic areas on the Falcons roster. Then they would be able to draft a QB in the second round and not put the pressure of bringing the Falcons back to glory on Matt Ryan’s shoulders. So for these reasons the Atlanta Falcons do not need to draft Matt Ryan…at least not with the 3^rd overall pick.