The Atlanta Falcons’ roster will look a lot different for the 2022-2023 NFL season as the team enters a full-on rebuild year––however, we’re not supposed to call it that, according to the team’s GM Terry Fontenot and head coach Arthur Smith.
But after sending longtime quarterback Matt Ryan to Indianapolis, losing their No. 1 wideout Calvin Ridley to a gambling suspension, along with several other key pieces to free agency, the Falcons are most certainly rebuilding their lineup and the chances of seeing them in the postseason anytime soon are slim.
What Are the Falcons Super Bowl Odds?
Even post-free agency, the Falcons had several roster holes to fill heading into this year’s draft. You name it, the Falcons needed it.
The 2022 NFL Draft wrapped up at the end of April and Atlanta took advantage of all eight picks, prioritizing every roster need. Ahead of the April 28’s draft, top-rated sportsbooks had Atlanta at +5000 to win Super Bowl 57 but the team’s odds have moved to +1000, which is still a long shot, but at least the Falcons are moving in the right direction.
Here’s what Atlanta did in this year’s draft:
- Round 1 – Pick 8 (8 overall): Southern California wide receiver Drake London
- Round 2 – Pick 7 (38 overall): Penn State defensive end Arnold Ebiketie
- Round 2 – Pick 11 (43 overall): Traded to the New York Giants
- Round 2 – Pick 26 (58 overall) from the Tennessee Titans: Montana State linebacker Troy Andersen
- Round 3 – Pick 10 (74 overall): Cincinnati quarterback Desmond Ridder
- Round 3 – Pick 18 (82 overall) from the Indianapolis Colts: Western Kentucky outside linebacker DeAngelo Malone
- Round 4 – Pick 9 (114 overall): Traded to the New York Giants
- Round 5 – Pick 8 (151 overall): BYU running back Tyler Allgeier
- Round 6 – Pick 11 (190 overall): Georgia guard Justin Shaffer
- Round 6 – Pick 35 (213 overall): Georgia tight end John FitzPatrick
Falcons Really Honed in on Every 2022 NFL Draft Need
There were several directions the Falcons could go with their No. 8 overall pick and many thought it would be a new addition to the offensive or defensive line instead, the team turned to one of the draft’s top receivers: Drake London. London is set to be an immediate start and impact alongside Kyle Pitts.
In fact, we should see Pitts score more on American soil in 2022 with the addition of London, which will take away a lot of the opposing defense’s attention. The Falcons need a true wide receiver with both Russell Gage and Ridely gone, and they got that in London.
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From there, the Falcons traded up to grab a potential sack machine in Penn State defensive end Arnold Ebiketie, which now gives the team a healthy edge rotation.
Then Atlanta selected a triple-threat off the board in linebacker/running back/quarterback Troy Andersen, who may or may not be Deion Jones’s replacement if the team decides to move on from him in a post-June 1 trade.
The Edge
But the real kicker came when the Falcons took Cincinnati quarterback Desmond Ridder. After 14 seasons of Matt Ryan, Ridder is set to be the future of Atlanta and he says he’s not leaving until he “wins a Super Bowl.” Whether or not he starts in 2022 remains to be seen but he has a real shot at competing for the job against Marcus Mariota.
Remember when I said Atlanta will have a healthy rotation at the edge? Yeah, the team added yet another big edge defender with their 82nd overall pick in DeAngelo Malone. Malone will likely have to compete for playing time but he brings a lot of speed and great footwork to Atlanta which gives him a very promising future.
The Falcons’ edge rotation isn’t the only position finally coming together. Atlanta’s running back room looks solid with veterans Cordarrelle Patterson, Qadree Ollison, Damien Wilson, and the addition of rookie back Tyler Allgeier.
And last but not least, after 10 years of not drafting any Georgia Bulldogs, the Falcons finally did. The team took Georgia guard Justin Shaffer and tight end John FitzPatrick. Shaffer should be a step up from Jalen Mayfield at left guard and FitzPatrick brings his blocking skills to Atlanta to fill the void left by Lee Smith.
After drafting some duds in 2021, you can tell Fontenot really honed in on every NFL pick and every need this year and after not having all of the pieces Smith needed in 2021 to run a successful offense, it looks like things can only go up from here with their new additions.
That being said, don’t get your hopes up on the Falcons winning a Super Bowl or even making it to the playoffs next year. Instead, you can at least expect them to be surprising contenders in the NFC South.
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