NFL analyst lists Falcons among teams that must 'ace' 2025 draft
NFL analyst lists Falcons among teams that must 'ace' 2025 draft NFL analyst lists Falcons among teams that must 'ace' 2025 draft
Right when the Atlanta Falcons got out of the mess that was Matt Ryan's contract, they let Kirk Cousins pull them back in. While the team should be out from under Cousins' contract by 2026, the veteran quarterback's cap hit severely hindered what Atlanta was able to do in free agency.
This makes the upcoming 2025 NFL draft that much more important for the Falcons and general manager Terry Fontenot. The team has needs at edge rusher and center, however, Atlanta only has five selections in this year's draft. With just two picks in the top 100, Fontenot will need to find talent outside of Round 1.
The Falcons have a nice core on offense, but the defense has some catching up to do if they plan on reaching the playoffs next season. NFL.com released a new feature listing nine teams that must "ace" the 2025 NFL draft and Atlanta was an obvious choice.
"They lack picks in Rounds 3, 5 and 6. Even their first-rounder comes in at No. 15, which doesn't guarantee they'll land a ready-made talent." wrote NFL.com's Eric Edholm. "The biggest issues appear to be on defense (although OT can't be ignored), and the Falcons risk falling even farther behind the Bucs in the NFC South. Raheem Morris might not be on the hot seat, but this will be a high-pressure draft for GM Terry Fontenot, his fifth in the captain's chair in Atlanta."
Last year, the Falcons may have hit on the Michael Penix Jr. selection, but the rest of the draft class didn't make much of an impression. Even Penix appeared in just a handful of games. Despite trading up into the second round to select Clemson defensive lineman Ruke Orhorhoro, the team barely played him as a rookie before he suffered an injury late in the year.
With the exception of fifth-round pick Tyler Allgeier, Fontenot hasn't found many impact players outside of the first round. The team may trade back to acquire more draft picks, but if they stand pat, the Falcons really need to make sure they hit on the 15th and 46th overall selections.
If Atlanta can find a few rotational/depth players in the fourth and seven rounds, that's about as good as fans can hope for. The Falcons are getting a few last-minute visits in ahead of the 2025 NFL draft. The team is set to meet with Texas wide receiver Isaiah Bond and UCF cornerback BJ Adams.
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