Rebuilding the Atlanta Falcons: Updated NFL Draft Order; Who to Pick?

The Atlanta Falcons went from a playoff spot to a Top-10 NFL Draft pick in just two weeks.

The Atlanta Falcons are 4-6 on the season, and the trend-line is headed the wrong direction after consecutive blowout losses to the Dallas Cowboys and New England Patriots.

The last two losses took the Falcons from a potential seventh-playoff spot to a top-10 draft pick. 

The Falcons at present have the ninth pick, while the 5-5 Minnesota Vikings pick all the way down at No. 20. So there could still be a lot of movement in the draft order the last seven weeks of the season.

The good news for the Falcons is the 2022 NFL Draft appears to be chock full of players who fit the club's biggest needs, specifically edge rusher, offensive tackle and cornerback.

According to NFL Draft Bible, the top 10 prospects in next year's draft are - guess what? - offensive and defensive linemen and defensive backs.

Class of 2022 NFL Draft Bible Top 10 Prospects

1. DE, Kayvon Thibodeaux, Oregon
2. FS, Kyle Hamilton, Notre Dame
3. CB, Derek Stingley, LSU
4. DT, DeMarvin Leal, Texas A&M
5. OT, Evan Neal, Alabama
6. DE, George Karlaftis, Purdue
7. CB, Andrew Booth, Clemson
8. DE, Aidan Hutchinson, Michigan
9. OT, Charles Cross, Mississippi State
10. CB, Ahmad Gardner, Cincinnati

Falcons outside linebacker Dante Fowler has been a disappointment as a high-dollar free agent, and he likely won't be with the team next year. Steven Means is the starter opposite him, and we will argue that he's a backup-level player at best.

Right tackle Kaleb McGary was a first-round pick of the Falcons in 2019, but we say he's been a liability all season for Atlanta. PFF grades him as the 69th out of 80 eligible offensive tackles in 2021.

By comparison, right guard Chris Lindstrom, taken in the same draft as McGary, ranks ninth out of 76 guards.

After last year's quarterback-heavy draft, there doesn't appear to be a consensus top-10 pick in this class. While the Falcons desperately need help in several areas, including edge and offensive tackle, this draft might provide the opportunity to draft a developmental quarterback of the future.

The Falcons could drop out of the top 10, pick up another high draft pick, and take a quarterback like Roswell, Ga. native Malik Willis of Liberty. A raw prospect with a lot of tools, Willis could benefit from sitting behind Falcons starter Matt Ryan. Ryan will be 37 next season. Love him or hate him, he's on the tail end of his career, and the Falcons have to think about his long-term replacement.

The Falcons have three picks in the first two rounds of the 2022 NFL Draft. They added the Tennessee Titans second-round pick in the Julio Jones trade.

While they can continue stalling on the quarterback front, they cannot ignore the edge-rusher and offensive tackle problem ... and help might be there in the first two rounds of the 2022 NFL Draft.