Atlanta Falcons GM Terry Fontenot Defends Track Record ahead of NFL Draft

The Atlanta Falcons are expected to invest heavily on defense in the 2025 NFL Draft which begins with the first round on Thursday night in Green Bay, Wisc.

However, once the Falcons finally had their pre-draft press conference on Wednesday, it was fifth-year general manager Terry Fontenot who was put on the defensive about his draft record. The AJC's Ken Segura led with his disappointment in Fontenot's four drafts as a whole.

"I was taking a run yesterday, and Tyler Allgeier was just pulling up, and he's all yoked up," said Fontenot. "He looks good right now, and Tyler was obviously a fifth-round pick. We have a fourth-round pick that's now the second-highest paid center in the league right now, so you can go through it. The player that's replacing him was an undrafted free agent, and he's a really good player –talking about Ryan Neuzil.

"So, we can go through the things that we've done well, and I feel like one thing we've done a really good job of is the profile of the player, what's the vision, and how they're going to fit for us, that's an important aspect of it. That's why we have such an inclusive process.

"We don't focus on the things that have went well. We focus on the things that didn't go well and the areas that we do have to improve on. It's always we're process-oriented, we're process-driven. It's always about how are we going to change this process to make us more effective and increase our hit rate."

Fontenot's defenders will point to players like wide receiver Drake London, running back Bijan Robinson, and the franchise's hopeful quarterback of the future in Michael Penix Jr. as testament to Fontenot's draft acumen.

But teams aren't supposed to be drafting in the top-10 four years in a row. Getting a good player in the top-10 is an expectation. With the top-10 draft slot comes higher picks in the second and third rounds as well, and this is where the Falcons' drafts have come up short.

One of the reasons the Falcons are in such a poor salary cap situation again, is because they have so few regulars on rookie deals. That and Fontenot's first draft in Atlanta has been a disaster. To be fair, then coach Arthur Smith had a large say in personnel decisions as well.

The story isn't over more most of these guys who still have a chance to go from misses to hits, including Fontenot's first-ever Falcons draft pick.

Atlanta Falcons Draft Picks under General Manager Terry Fontenot

2021

1st Round - No. 4 Overall TE Kyle Pitts - Miss

The unicorn got out of the gate fast, but has been a disappointment since. Taking a 20-year-old tight end with an aging quarterback on a bad contract, porous offensive line, and Swiss cheese defense was questionable, and hindsight hasn't been kind.

On his own Pitts has been a miss. Combined with the players taken immediately after Pitts including the likes of Ja'Marr Chase, Jaylen Waddle, Penei Sewell and Pat Surtain, and... ouch.

2nd Round - No. 40 Overall S Richie Grant - Miss

A top 50 pick on a safety is considered a premium resource on a non-premium position. The expectation is to get a plus starter for years. The light never came on for Grant. He was a liability in coverage and missed way too many tackles.

3rd Round - No. 68 Overall OT Jaylen Mayfield - Miss

The Falcons drafted half a dozen guys from the Senior Bowl in 2021. Yet somehow they pass over offensive tackle Spencer Brown to select Jaylen Mayfield who had 15 starts in his college career. Mayfield was forced into action as a starter at left guard as a rookie, was graded by PFF as the worst lineman in the NFL and never started another game.

4th Round - No. 108 Overall CB Darren Hall - Miss

Another 20-year old, Hall started nine games in his second season and was immediately released. He's appeared in four NFL games with one tackle the last two seasons.

4th Round - No. 114 C Drew Dalman - Hit

Ironically, this is the only time the Falcons have traded down under Fontenot. Moving down in the second round netted them Grant and Dalman. Dalman left the Falcons in free agency after earning the starting job in 2022 and became one of the best centers in the NFL.

5th Round - No. 148 Overall DL Ta'Quon Graham - Hit

Injuries slowed down a promising start to his career, but getting a solid rotational piece on the defensive line in the fifth round qualifies as a hit.

5th Round - No. 182 Overall Edge Ade Ogundeji - Miss

Forced into action because of a lack of other options, Ogundeji started 27 games his first two years in Atlanta. He managed three sacks and was released. He hasn't made a tackle in the NFL since.

5th Round - No. 183 Overall PR Avery Williams - Hit

Williams was drafted to help improve the Falcons' special teams. He did that. He led the NFL in punt return average in 2022 before hurting his knee and missing 2023.

6th Round - No. 187 Overall WR Frank Darby - Miss

An infectious personality, Darby was a hard worker and a fan favorite for those who could attend practice. Unfortunately he couldn't find his way off the practice squad. With only 40 snaps on special teams in 2022 and 2023, unfortunately, this is still a miss.

2022

1st Round - No. 8 Overall WR Drake London - Hit

London is going to make a bunch of money in his next contract.

2nd Round - No. 38 Overall Edge Arnold Ebiketie - Hit

This is the first tough grade that could go either way. It's not Ebiketie's fault that the Falcons need more. The expectation for a Day 2 edge rusher is to get a rotational player with upside. That's exactly what Ebiketie has been. His 14.5 sacks puts him seventh in his draft class with only Boye Mafe (No. 40) and Nik Bonitto (No. 64) being taken after him.

2nd Round - No. 58 Overall LB Troy Andersen - Miss

Like safety, a second round pick on a non-premium position is a high selection. Andersen has shown flashes of brilliance, but the Falcons need more of a return from the oft-injured linebacker to move this to the "hit" column.

3rd Round - No. 74 Overall QB Desmond Ridder - Miss

In a vacuum, this is a hit. The expectation for a third-round quarterback is to get a serviceable backup. That's what Ridder is. The way the Falcons counted on him to lead them to the playoffs in 2023 cost several people, including Arthur Smith and Ridder, their jobs.

3rd Round - No. 82 Overall Edge DeAngelo Malone - Miss

You're hoping to get more than a special teams player in the third round. Malone has been a stalwart on special teams in his three seasons, but has found cracking the edge rotation tough. He had two sacks against the Raiders last season, pushing his three-year total to three.

5th Round - No. 151 Overall RB Tyler Allgeier - Hit

Arguably Terry Fontenot's best pick. The best thing to happen to Allgeier after setting the Falcons' rookie rushing record in 2022 was Bijan Robinson. As a fifth-round pick, Allgeier's rookie deal was good for just-under $4 million. With low mileage after becoming the No. 2 option behind Robinson, Allgeier will make more than $4 million in 2026 when he hits free agency.

6th Round - No. 190 Overall OL Justin Shaffer - Miss

Has bounced on and off the practice squad without playing a regular season game.

6th Round - No. 213 Overall TE John FitzPatrick - Miss

Played in nine games as a rookie, was cut in 2024, and plucked off the practice squad by the Green Bay Packers.

2023

1st Round - No. 8 Overall RB Bijan Robinson - Hit

All of a sudden, it's cool to be a running back again, and Robinson is one of the best in the NFL. Fontenot and Smith took a lot of heat for selecting a non-premium position in the top-10, but Robinson has proven his value to the Falcons.

2nd Round - No. 38 Overall OL Matthew Bergeron - Hit

Plugged into the left guard position right away, Bergeron has been what you hope to get when you use a Day 2 pick on a non-premium position. He could be an inhouse replacement for Kaleb McGary at right tackle in the future if necessary.

3rd Round - No. 75 Overall DL Zach Harrison - Hit

Harrison, like every member of the Falcons' defensive front, took a step backwards in 2024. However at worst, he's a good rotational piece on the defensive line. That's good value in the third.

4th Round - No. 113 Overall CB Clark Phillips - Hit

An undersized playmaker with average athletic traits but superior instincts, Phillips played well as a rookie but suffered in 2024. He's finally getting a shot in the slot/nickel where a player of his attributes belongs. He's a breakout candidate for 2025.

7th Round - No. 224 Overall S DeMarcco Hellams - Hit

Even with missing all of his second season with a knee injury, Hellams provided good special teams play and showed flashes at safety as a rookie.

7th Round - No. 225 Overall OL Jovaughn Gwynn - Hit

A depth piece for a very good Falcons offensive line.

2024

While it takes several years to judge most draft classes, that notion was especially true for Atlanta's batch of rookies last season. Each of the players drafted had 30-plus-year-old veterans ahead of them. Penix, Ruke Orhorhoro, Brandon Dorlus, Bralen Trice, etc... none of those players were expected to be major contributors in 2024.

And they weren't. It was a redshirt season for the Class of 2024.

However, Penix is Fontenot's most important draft pick. Morris and Fontenot's jobs both rely on the soon-to-be 25-year old being ready to deliver on the promise he showed in the Falcons' final-four games.

Orhorhoro and Dorlus are going to be counted on to play big roles in the Falcons defense this year with the departure of Grady Jarrett. Anything they get from Trice coming off a knee injury will be gravy.

The track record shows that Fontenot has indeed improved the process since he took the job as a first-time general manager. His pro-personnel decisions in free agency have been more good than bad through his tenure, and the hit rate on the draft has improved.

The Falcons are at a tipping point in 2025. If the Falcons are successful, they'll go into next season with a playoff team being led by a hot-shot young quarterback, a player friendly coach, and a bunch of free agent money.

If it goes the other way, Arthur Blank could be looking for a new head coach and general manager combination for just the third time in his tenure.