Edge rusher, offensive lineman, wide receiver, quarterback (?)…The Atlanta Falcons enter next week’s 2022 NFL Draft with a need at several key positions throughout their roster.
With nine total picks—five in the first three rounds—Falcons radio analyst Dave Archer shared his belief with Andy & Randy on 92.9 The Game this week that Atlanta has a chance to snag two or three instant starters in the upcoming draft.
He added that the Falcons could end up with four or five starters from the draft class by the end of the season. Andy & Randy agreed with Arch, but Andy took it a step further saying that three instant starters has to be the minimum.
“You look at the roster right now, there would be guys that would have to start that you wouldn’t be comfortable with them starting in an NFL football game, and that was the case last year for the Falcons at certain positions…If you don’t want that to be the case this year, then you need to find guys next week," Andy said.
It’s a given that your first round selection is expected to start, so who will the Falcons take with the eighth overall pick? Randy is open to all suggestions with a few exceptions.
“There are so many players out there that the Falcons could use, and there’s no position outside of tight end or kicker, that they shouldn’t go. Everything should be open,” Randy said.
Depending on which mock draft you look at, a wide variety of names have been floated for the Falcons—USC WR Drake London, Oregon DE Kayvon Thibodeaux, Liberty QB Malik Willis, Notre Dame S Kyle Hamilton to name a few—but with little intel leaking from the team ahead of draft day, your guess is as good mine as to who they take. With that in mind, next Thursday should be an intriguing night for Falcons fans when the festivities from Las Vegas begin.
