Falcons Double Down on 'Dawgs in Round 6, Taking Georgia TE John FitzPatrick

Another Georgia Bulldog joins the Atlanta Falcons.

Jeremy Brener | Apr 30, 2022

After taking Georgia offensive lineman Justin Shaffer with their first pick in the sixth round, the Atlanta Falcons went down the road to Athens and selected his teammate John FitzPatrick at pick No. 213.

John FitzPatrick

USATSI_15385530 — Kareem Elgazzar/The Enquirer

John FitzPatrick

John FitzPatrick

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FitzPatrick is strictly a blocking tight end, catching just 17 passes for 200 yards in three seasons with the Bulldogs.

I'm sure the Falcons are okay with that, especially considering the fact that he'll join Kyle Pitts in the tight end room.

Head coach Arthur Smith's affinity for tight ends has been well-documented, and FitzPatrick will have an opportunity to carve out a solid role for himself in Atlanta.

The Falcons struggled last year in the run game, placing 31st in the league in rushing yards. By adding FitzPatrick, the offense can clear the way for Mike Davis, Cordarrelle Patterson, Damien Williams, or even fifth-round rookie Tyler Allgeier to establish themselves as a major focal point in the 2022 offense.

FitzPatrick is going to compete for the third- or fourth tight end role alongside Ryan Becker, Daniel Helm, Parker Hesse, Brayden Lenius and John Raine. Given how much Smith likes to use tight ends in the offense, it wouldn't be a surprise to see the Falcons carry more than the standard three tight ends on the roster throughout the season.

With FitzPatrick being selected, the National Champion Georgia Bulldogs now have 15 drafted players through six rounds, the most out of any school in the nation.

Published Apr 30, 2022

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.