2020 NFL Draft: 5 Prospects Atlanta Falcons should target with no. 16 pick
By Evan Bachman
The Atlanta Falcons are officially locked into the 16th overall pick in the 2020 NFL draft, so we can now speculate who they’ll be taking.
The 2019 season was odd for the Atlanta Falcons. They started off 1-7 and looked like they were going to be picking in the top five of the 2020 NFL Draft. However, they ended up finishing strong by winning six of their last eight games and will now pick 16th.
This is a team that does have some high-level talent with Matt Ryan, Julio Jones, Jake Matthews, Grady Jarrett, and Deion Jones, but they lack depth. They did deal with injuries with all of Calvin Ridley, James Carpender, Desmond Trufant, Keanu Neal, J.J. Wilcox, Johnathan Cyprien, and Takkarist McKinley ending the season on IR. Injuries were part of the problem but they need a rebuilt roster if they’re going to playoff contenders in the NFC next year.
The biggest problem for the Falcons is their defense, which allowed 24.9 points per game this season, which tied for 22nd in the NFL. Defensive end Vic Beasley, defensive tackle Jack Crawford, and cornerback Bledi Wreh-Wilson are all free agents, which doesn’t help matters. I could see them addressing any position on their defense in the first round, so I think they will most likely take the best defensive player on the board.
The offense isn’t great, averaging 23.8 points per game, which was 13th in the NFL this season, but it isn’t the reason they aren’t a playoff team. They could address running back, offensive line, or even tight end if they don’t re-sign Austin Hooper later in the draft, but will likely stay away from offensive players in the first round unless there is a particularly strong value selection available.