NFL.com'ѕ Perfect Pіckѕ for Atlаntа Fаlconѕ

Chad Reuter of NFL.com discusses the perfect picks for the Atlanta Falcons in the first-two rounds of the NFL Draft.

Draft analyst Chad Reuter of NFL.com has been spitballing the two perfect draft picks for every NFL team, but it’s likely he didn’t do much market research with Atlanta Falcons fans when he made his choices. 

Shoring up the back end with Michigan cornerback Will Johnson makes sense for the Falcons if they don’t like the available pass rushers, but getting center Jared Wilson from Georgia in round two would leave the Falcons without an upgrade at pass rush again. That might not sit well with Falcons fans when the center position is already in good hands with Ryan Neuzil. 

“The Falcons have not always addressed their biggest needs early in recent drafts, instead focusing on the players they liked the most,” Reuter stated on NFL.com. “Yes, veteran cornerback Mike Hughes is already in the fold, having re-signed on a modest contract, but Johnson's size and skill set would make it a lot tougher for offenses to avoid A.J. Terrell.

"If he is there in the middle of the first round, Johnson would be a bargain find, like Christian Gonzalez in 2023, when the Patriots scooped him up at No. 17 overall.”

Getting a player like Christian Gonzalez at No. 15 would be fortuitous, but would the Falcons be willing to pass on players like Mike Green, Mykel Williams, and Shemar Stewart? Maybe. The Falcons are in desperate need of new blood in the cornerback room after free agency yielded re-signing Hughes and nickel Dee Alford.

Reuter is convinced that the Falcons top brass get beguiled by sheer value when Johnson falls right onto their laps on April 24th. That's all well and good, but only if a cohesive Plan B is in existence to help fill that glaring need at the edge rusher position.

It’s the second-round pick that would raise more eyebrows, especially with excellent defenders still on the board. 

“The Falcons lost erstwhile starter Drew Dalman in free agency, so it seems inevitable that they will keep the athletic but sturdy Wilson in-state to man the pivot,” wrote Reuter.

While the Falcons lost Dalman to free agency, they also lost him for eight games last season to an ankle injury. With Neuzil at center, the Falcons went on a 5-1 stretch before Kirk Cousins was injured against the New Orleans Saints and the season spiraled after that.

Drafting a center with their only Day 2 pick seems like a luxury when the Falcons have too many needs to fill on the other side of the ball. 

There are teams below the Falcons in Reuter’s perfect pick scenario that would make much more sense for general manager Terry Fontenot. 

The Packers get Mykel Williams at No. 23 and cornerback Shavon Revel at No. 54. Revel is a first-round talent whose 2024 was cut short by an injury. Getting him at No. 46 when the Falcons pick would represent a risk worth taking. 

The Buccaneers take safety Nick Emmanwori and edge James Pearce Jr. at No. 19 and No. 53 respectively. While getting a safety at No. 15 doesn’t represent great value and there are big questions about Pearce, that’s still a more palatable haul for the Falcons. 

Will Johnson makes sense for the Atlanta Falcons. Jared Wilson doesn’t. When talking about perfect picks, Reuter’s idea of perfect comes up short.