Another NFL draft is in the books and the Atlanta Falcons have a fresh round of rookies on the roster. If nothing else, the team went out of its way to improve an offensive line unit that was highly problematic last season.
Let’s hand out early letter grades for each pick they made this year. These grades are partially about the player’s ability, but also about the pick itself.
Pick No. 14: G Chris Lindstrom
Lindstrom is a fine prospect. In fact, he’s the consensus best guard in the entire 2019 draft class. The problem is, very few teams draft guards in the first round for a reason: they’re most likely still going to be available later on. This pick also throws into question why the team signed Jamon Brown in free agency when he plays the same spot as Lindstrom, who’s obviously going to start. In any case, at least right guard won’t be a problem for Matt Ryan the next several seasons.
Grade: C+
Pick No. 31: OT Kaleb McGary
This is another case of a strong prospect getting picked in a bad spot. McGary has an inspiring story and will definitely be a big improvement over Ryan Schraeder at right tackle. However, there were better OTs still on the board, like Florida’s Jawaan Taylor or Oklahoma’s Cody Ford. Trading both Day 2 picks to the Rams really stung, as well. On the flip side, the Falcons have not had much luck finding offensive line talent in the draft. By addressing it with their first two picks, they made sure they got it right and upgraded their line. Still, they could have gotten much better value with both of their first two picks.
Grade: C-
Pick No. 111: CB Kendall Sheffield
After a very long delay between picks, the Falcons got back into the action by trading up in the fourth round for Sheffield out of Ohio State. Outside of the offensive and defensive lines, cornerback was the most important position for Atlanta to address in this draft. Trading up for Sheffield here was a strange flex, but it’s hard to argue against the pick much given their need. Sheffield is undeniably quick in coverage but has to improve his tackling and footwork. He’ll have time to develop playing behind Isaiah Oliver on the right side.
Grade: B-
Pick No. 135: DE John Cominsky
Now we’re talking. The Falcons must have known the Cowboys wanted Cominsky, because they traded up two spots to get him. Cominsky is one of the top sleeper prospects in this class and has the potential to grow into a long-term contributor for the edge rotation. He’s not a great pass rusher, but he plays fast and violent the way Dan Quinn wants his defensive linemen to. This was the best pick of the draft for Atlanta this year.
Grade: A+
Pick No. 152: RB Qadree Ollison
The Falcons have made a habit of picking running back gems in the middle rounds of the draft. Ollison could be next in the same tradition as Devonta Freeman and Ito Smith and will likely be the No. 3 option on the depth chart behind them. What he brings to the table is a pure power element that Atlanta didn’t already have. Ollison had strong freshman and senior seasons and might push Brian Hill for his spot on the roster.
Grade: B
Pick No. 172: CB Jordan Miller
Picking Sheffield before Miller is a little bit strange, but so is the NFL draft in general. Miller had a more impressive career at Washington, which has become a cornerback factory for teams like Atlanta and Seattle that like to play cover 3. Miller is a promising corner prospect with the requisite length and press ability. He’ll start out backing up Desmond Trufant on the left side but could end up in the starting lineup some day before too long. Miller has to get stronger to compete at the next level. Landing him this late was a steal, though.
Grade: B+
Pick No. 203: RB/WR/KR Marcus Green
At this late stage of the draft, teams should be looking for athletes and specialists. Green was one of the best returners in college football, working both punts and kickoff returns. Between the two, he totaled over 2,000 return yards and five touchdowns. Green is also a versatile weapon on offense who will be used as a running back and a wide receiver once he earns his way onto the field.
Grade: A
Overall grade
Thomas Dimitroff is perhaps the best general manager in the NFL when it comes to managing the cap. He’s also found some tremendous prospects during the middle and lower rounds of the draft in the past. That being said, this was not his best work. There’s a point to be made for going all out to improve the offensive line, but the Falcons needed to add more firepower on the other side of the line of scrimmage than they did. They also could have probably gotten both Lindstrom and McGary later on. Dimitroff redeemed himself some by hitting outside cornerback hard and finding a couple intriguing weapons late with Ollison and Green.
Grade: C
