NFL Mock Draft: Falcons Support Desmond Ridder, Add to Trenches
While neither head coach Arthur Smith nor general manager Terry Fontenot will openly admit it, the Atlanta Falcons are rebuilding.
With the Falcons now four seasons removed from their last playoff appearance, all eyes within the organization are focused towards getting back to the big stage.
When Fontenot arrived in Atlanta following the end of the 2020 season, he took over a team that had negative cap space and several aging stars. After just two off-seasons at the helm, Fontenot has created a surplus of cap space for the 2023 free agency period and added several young foundational pieces to help get the Falcons back to postseason contention.
Fontenot's first draft class was led by Kyle Pitts, the highest-drafted tight end in NFL history, but received inconsistent contributions from the rest. However, early indications from training camp and preseason are that a handful of players have taken the next step, including safety Richie Grant and defensive linemen Ta'Quon Graham and Adetokunbo Ogundeji.
Perhaps the biggest factor determining the pace of Atlanta's rebuild will be the success third-round rookie quarterback Desmond Ridder, who's had a strong pair of preseason games to start his career.
Should Ridder succeed, it frees the Falcons up to continue building up their lines, which have proved troublesome the last several years. In USA Today's recent two-round mock draft, Atlanta did just that, selecting Georgia defensive tackle Jalen Carter with the No. 2 overall pick.
"The Falcons may have landed their quarterback of the future in Desmond Ridder, which should free them up to take the best available player on the board, regardless of position. After landing a pair of promising edge rushers in this year’s draft, a disruptive interior force like Carter would be an ideal addition." - USA Today's Luke Easterling
Playing on a loaded defensive front, the 6-3, 300-pound Carter had 33 quarterback pressures, 8.5 tackles-for-loss, three sacks and two blocked kicks as a true sophomore. A consistently influential presence inside on Georgia's National Championship-winning team, Carter enters his junior season with All-American honors.
Adding a player of his caliber next to defensive tackle Grady Jarrett would be a significant boost to the Falcons' front seven, and pairing Carter with young pass rushers Arnold Ebiketie and DeAngelo Malone would give Atlanta an outstanding core to build on up front.
However, the Falcons didn't stop there in the mock draft, drafting Florida State offensive tackle Robert Scott Jr. at No. 33 overall.
Scott Jr., who's 6-5, 334 pounds, has experience at both left and right tackle. In Atlanta, he'd have a chance to be a day-one starter on the right side, as incumbent first-teamer Kaleb McGary is playing on the final year of his rookie contract after the Falcons declined his fifth-year option.
If the Falcons are picking as high as this mock has them, dismal would be an understatement to describe the campaign. However, if Ridder shows his preseason performance is merely a sign of things to come and Atlanta can continue adding impact players to both sides of the line of scrimmage, the long-term future of the team would be better off because of it.
