WATCH: 2019 NFL Draft strategy contributing to Falcons' defensive struggles

The Atlanta Falcons went all in on fixing their offensive line during the 2019 offseason. They dedicated almost $40 million over the next four years to signing offensive guards James Carpenter and Jamon Brown in free agency. Then, the Falcons essentially used their first three draft picks to select guard Chris Lindstrom and then trade back up into the first round to choose offensive tackle Kaleb McGary.

It's safe to say this plan, orchestrated by general manager Thomas Dimitroff with the heavy influence of owner Arthur Blank, has backfired.

The heavy dedication to the offensive line in the offseason came at the expense of the defense, which is now one of the worst in the NFL. The Falcons could have used upgrades along the defensive line and at cornerback but didn't have any salary-cap space left or early-round draft picks after the offensive line additions to land an impactful player.

Instead, the team elected to settle for veterans such as Tyeler Davison, Adrian Clayborn and Allen Bailey on short deals to fill those voids. The argument against adding a bigger name than those three was that the main pass rush was going to come from Vic Beasley anyway.

The Falcons also were fine with starting second-year cornerback Isaiah Oliver without much competition in training camp. Furthermore, Atlanta didn't add much depth to safety (besides J.J. Wilcox) despite both starters were returning from serious season-ending injuries.

All of these plans have backfired and stem back to the fact that the Falcons didn't take a defensive player in the draft before the fourth round.

These facts don't exonerate Dan Quinn or whomever may be calling the defensive plays at this point for the Falcons, but Dimitroff's draft strategy sure hasn't help matters for Atlanta's defense in 2019.