Falcons figured out answers to problems have been 70 miles up the road

Throughout their franchise history, the Atlanta Falcons have drafted 13 players from the University of Georgia and just four since 2022, including Jalon Walker in the 2025 NFL Draft with the 15^th overall pick. “I’ve never understood how the Falcons avoided Athens like the plague,” 92-9 The Game’s Mike Bell said as he and cohost, Abe Gordon, were joined by Connor Riley of Dawg Nation to discuss Georgia’s spring practices getting underway and the Bulldogs’ pro day taking place on Wednesday

“What makes it so start in recent years is the volume that Georgia has put out, where they lead all college programs in NFL draft picks taken in recent years,” Riley said as he explained the Falcons being ranked near the bottom of the NFL in regards to teams who have drafted the least number of players from Georgia. “And yet, most of those, prior to last year with Jalon Walker, there was still quality players in those third, fourth and fifth rounds that they could have taken,” Riley said.

“I’m interested in seeing as Matt Ryan and Ian Cunningham take over what their sort of fit is and what sort of programs they like to pull players from,” Riley said, noting how the Philadelphia Eagles and Green Bay Packers “love tapping into this Georgia pipeline” when drafting players. “I’ll be interested in seeing if the new Atlanta brass ultimately does so as well,” Riley said.