NFL Draft: Who's Falcons Most Questionable Pick?

The Atlanta Falcons made some people scratch their heads after taking Zach Harrison in the third round of the NFL Draft.

Jeremy Brener | May 8, 2023

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Atlanta Falcons

When Atlanta Falcons rookie Zach Harrison graduated from high school, many expected him to be a potential first-round pick in the NFL Draft someday.

Just four years later, Harrison failed to reach that far, but got pretty close. The Falcons selected him with the No. 75 overall pick in the third round.

The former five-star recruit didn't produce on the level of dominance that many expected. He never recorded more than 3.5 sacks in a season. It's part of the reason why CBS Sports has listed Harrison as the Falcons' most questionable pick from the NFL Draft.

"Harrison looks like he was produced in a laboratory to rush the quarterback. He has height, weight and speed but is on the stiffer side and needs to develop a more consistent pass-rush plan," CBS Sports writes. "The Ohio State product has simply not produced to the level expected. It was too early for the Falcons to take this flyer."

In Atlanta, Harrison has a reasonable path towards contributing early and often. The team signed veterans Calais Campbell and Bud Dupree to one-year deals, while Arnold Ebiketie and DeAngelo Malone are just entering their second seasons. Harrison's size at 6-6, 268 pounds is the prototypical size for an NFL defensive end, and there's hope that new defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen can squeeze out some of that development to match his potential from his frame.

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Published May 8, 2023

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.