The 2014 NFL Draft is less than 17 weeks away (May 8-10) and that time period will be filled with combines, roster moves and other pre-draft evaluations across the NFL. Atlanta’s 4-12 record left the Falcons in a five-way tie for the third overall pick in the draft, but with strength of schedule factored in they tumbled all the way the No. 6 pick. First-round picks are the best opportunity for a team to bolster its roster each offseason season and Atlanta has found incredible talent in past drafts with its first-round selections. Ring of honor members Steve Bartkowski, Gerald Riggs and Deion Sanders along with current Falcons players Roddy White, Sean Weatherspoon, Matt Ryan, Julio Jones and Desmond Trufant were all first-round picks by the Falcons
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Atlanta’s offensive and defensive lines struggled this season and finding help in the draft at these position groups is the primary focus for the franchise. In the past 22 years, the Falcons have spent just one first-round pick on an offensive lineman (Sam Baker in 2008) and that pick came in a year in which Atlanta had two first-round picks and grabbed Matt Ryan 18 picks earlier as the No. 3 pick of the draft. The rest of the League meanwhile has been in a frenzy to take first-round talent in the trenches. In last year’s draft, six of the first seven picks of the draft were linemen and five out of the first 10 picks were offensive linemen.
Injuries and free agency diminished the stability of Atlanta’s offensive line and the offense lost its firepower this season and its ability to throw the deep ball consistently without the time to protect Ryan. In Ryan’s first five seasons, Atlanta was in the top 10 in fewest sacks allowed all five years and ranked in the top five of the category four out of the five years. In 2013, the line allowed 2.8 sacks per game and ranked 28th in the League in its pass protection. In the final game of the season against Carolina, Matt Ryan was brought down a career-high nine times and Atlanta has now surrendered 19 sacks in the last four games to the NFC South champion Panthers.
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