The Falcons haven’t drafted for need since Terry Fontenot took over GM duties, but that’s not to say roster needs can’t be filled through the draft.
This begins a series where I look at the Falcons’ roster holes and prospects to fill them within the first 100 picks. Atlanta has four selections and should be able to find immediate contributors in each of the first three rounds. We begin with wide receivers:
No. 8: Rome Odunze, Malik Nabers
Some have completely written off the receiver position at No. 8, and I’m not sure why. We have seen Fontenot take a tight end and running back with top 10 picks. It’s not to say it’s the right move, but to say it’s not under consideration is crazy. The Falcons still need a third receiver, as I see it, to pair with Drake London and Darnell Mooney. Nabers and Odunze are certified ballers, WR1-type guys. The Falcons receiving core would be in the conversation for the top unit in the league with Odunze or Nabers.
No. 43: Ladd McConkey, Xavier Worthy, Xavier Legette, Ricky Pearsall
Some of these guys are expected to go before the Falcons’ second-round pick, but that’s not to say it’s impossible that Atlanta trades up for one of McConkey or Worthy, both of whom would have similar impacts in Zac Robinson‘s offense. Legette is much different than any of the prospects here. He’s closer to a linebacker than a wideout but would give Kirk Cousins another big-bodied target to throw to. Pearsall might be one of the silkiest football players I’ve ever seen.
No. 74 and No. 79: Roman Wilson, Ja’Lynn Polk, Devontez Walker
Roman Wilson might be suffering from playing in an offense that didn’t exactly accentuate his skill set. Michigan ran the ball a ton, but Wilson is still a stud. Polk is the opposite. He benefited from playing in a high-flying Washington offense and showed he can be a complement to a WR1 like Rome Odunze.
The Falcons will have plenty of options throughout the first three rounds of the draft, and in a class as deep as the 2024 class is, they’d be fools not to come away with at least one.
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