Could Falcons Be 'On The Clock' With No. 1 Pick After Season?
The Atlanta Falcons and the rest of the NFL are a week away from starting the season, yet there's already people projecting how the team will do this year.
Bleacher Report suggests that the Falcons are going to be the league's worst team in 2022 and will finish with a 3-14 record. Here's their reasoning behind that projection ...
The reality of the Atlanta Falcons' situation is clear.
Longtime quarterback Matt Ryan requested a trade, and the Falcons moved him to the Indianapolis Colts. Atlanta replaced him with Marcus Mariota, a stopgap QB who's taking snaps until 2022 third-round pick Desmond Ridder is ready.
The receiving corps is extremely thin, even as first-rounder Drake London is a potential standout next to tight end Kyle Pitts. Calvin Ridley won't be available because of a season-long suspension for betting on NFL games in 2021.
Perhaps the Falcons will steal a few unexpected wins if Mariota outperforms his expectations and the defense's top players stay healthy. Anything close to true playoff contention would be surprising, though.
Every other team finished with at least four wins in their league-wide projections, meaning the Falcons would pick first overall in the 2023 NFL Draft next spring.
While there is reason for pessimism with this Atlanta team, there is also reason for optimism. Quarterback Marcus Mariota showed promise during the preseason, and that could continue in the regular season, especially if he builds a strong rapport with tight end Kyle Pitts.
On top of that, A.J. Terrell and Casey Hayward form one of the league's best cornerback duos. The front seven isn't as strong, but a secondary-built defense can prevent big plays from taking place ... and that could keep the Falcons in a lot of games.
This projection proves that the Falcons have extremely low expectations going into the season, which means any positive developments will be accomplishments.
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