2022 NFL Draft: Grading Every Team’s 2022 NFL Draft Haul

Falcons (8 picks):

1:08 – Drake London, WR, USC

2:06 – Arnold Ebiketie, EDGE, Penn State

2:26 – Troy Andersen, LB, Montana State

3:10 – Desmond Ridder, QB, Cincinnati

3:18 – DeAngelo Malone, EDGE, Western Kentucky

5:08 – Tyler Allgeier, RB, BYU

6:11 – Justin Shaffer, OL, Georgia

6:35 – John FitzPatrick, TE, Georgia

Full disclosure, Desmond Ridder and Arnold Ebiketie both earned round one grades from me and both landed in the top-five of my “favorite players” list for the 2022 NFL Draft. The Falcons added both guys on day two! With Marcus Mariota signed on, and without the pressure that comes with being a first-round pick, Ridder will be allowed to develop at his own rate. I would not be surprised to see the former Cincinnati Bearcat quarterback force the hand of head coach Arthur Smith though, by proving he can start as a rookie.

Atlanta only had 18 sacks as a team in 2021, so I can’t overstate just how important Ebiketie is. There’s a real chance that he can reach 50% of that sack total by himself as a rookie. Troy Andersen, DeAngelo Malone, and Tyler Allgeier will all see playing time as rookies as well. Sheesh, all of this and I haven’t even gotten to the No. 8 overall pick, Drake London. London was a bit of a reach in the top-ten, but given the highway robbery that occurred on day two, it is easier to look past that. Whether Calvin Ridley ever plays another game in a Falcons uniform, the franchise has Ridder-London-Pitts to build a strong foundation on.

Grade: A