Falcons Offensive Rebuild Complete - Can Desmond Ridder Deliver?
By selecting running back Bijan Robinson at No. 8 overall in April's draft, Atlanta Falcons general manager Terry Fontenot and Arthur Smith continued their trend of selecting offensive playmakers in the first round.
Some scoffed at selecting a ballcarrier that high, but the Falcons plan on using the uber-talented Robinson in several ways ... and the point remains: three drafts for Fontenot and Smith, three skill position players drafted in the top-10.
It started with Kyle Pitts in 2021, as the Falcons made him the highest-drafted tight end in league history at No. 4 overall - perhaps some scoffed at that, too, and all he did was post the second-most receiving yards ever by a rookie tight end.
Atlanta followed suit the year after, drafting receiver Drake London at No. 8, and concluded the trio with Robinson this year.
In each draft, pundits connected the Falcons to quarterbacks at various points in the process - but instead, Smith and Fontenot held off, stayed true to their board and added legitimate playmakers around the position.
And it's paid off.
Toss in running back Tyler Allgeier, who was drafted in the fifth-round last year and broke the franchise's rookie rushing record with 1,035 yards, and there's a strong core of young weapons on Atlanta's roster.
The gamble, of course, is on quarterback Desmond Ridder, who impressed the staff with his poise, command, intellect and ability in third- and fourth-down situations during his four-game stretch to close last season.
But Smith and Fontenot have been adamant from the start that they had no intentions of throwing a young quarterback into an environment that wasn't beneficial for their development.
They've held true to their word, committing heavy capital to adding offensive playmakers ... and banking on the ability to develop Ridder, a third-round pick last year.
Better yet, the focus on adding around the quarterback spot didn't stop at the skill positions - Smith, an offensive lineman in his playing days, has put an emphasis on winning with physicality up front, and Fontenot has brought his vision to life.
The Falcons have fortified the offensive line for years to come, with left tackle Jake Matthews (2026), rookie second-round left guard Matthew Bergeron (2026), center Drew Dalman (2024), right guard Chris Lindstrom (2028) and right tackle Kaleb McGary (2025) all under contract during the key years of Ridder's development.
Under Smith and Fontenot's guidance, the Falcons have extended Matthews, Lindstrom and McGary, and drafted Bergeron and Dalman. The regime hasn't been scared to consistently pour money into the offensive line, and Ridder will be better off because of it.
There's also the element of continuity, which Smith has noted countless times as being a key asset for the growth of young quarterbacks. While quarterbacks coach Charles London is gone, both Smith and offensive coordinator Dave Ragone remain, leaving the same concepts and terminology in place from when Ridder arrived.
Thus, instead of having to learn new lingo, checks, calls and everything else that comes with a playbook, Ridder's been freed to solely focus on improving his on-field game and building chemistry with his targets.
The latter is particularly important, as the Falcons added a trio of players - tight end Jonnu Smith and receivers Mack Hollins and Scotty Miller - who figure to have roles in varying capacities on gamedays.
Ridder already has a strong rapport with London and Allgeier; away from the field, they're close friends, and on it, the latter two saw a significant jump in production when Ridder became the starter in Week 15.
But Pitts went down with a season-ending knee injury weeks before Ridder took over, and the quartet of Robinson, Jonnu Smith, Hollins and Miller are just now set to start OTAs in their new home.
So, there are still things to figure out - but it's May. There's roughly three and a half months to do exactly that, most of which will be filled by OTAs, mandatory minicamp and training camp, all of which provide chemistry-building opportunities.
On a broader scale, that's just the micro level of Atlanta's current roster standing ... but take a look back to Smith and Fontenot's introductory press conferences and some of the ones they've done since and one will likely gain a greater appreciation for what exactly has been done.
In short, they've accomplished precisely what they set out to do - build a complete environment for a young quarterback while surrounding him with a strong offensive line and blend of young and veteran playmakers.
The last box in need of being checked is quarterback - can Ridder deliver? That remains to be seen ... but thanks to the full offensive rebuild that's taken place over the last three off-season's, he has a full array of resources at his disposal to become the Falcons' next franchise quarterback, just as Smith and Fontenot planned from the start.
You can follow Daniel Flick on Twitter @DFlickDraft
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