There are two things the Falcons don’t do particularly well. One is keep their quarterback upright. The other is knock the opposing quarterback down. In the world of football, this is what’s known as faulty roster construction, like building a house with tooth picks and silly putty.
It follows that going into the NFL draft, which starts Thursday, the Falcons’ top two needs are improving their offensive and defensive lines. There is ongoing debate about which of these two areas is the greater need, but the unfortunate truth is there’s no wrong answer.
There’s a reason for this: The team’s recent draft history on both lines kind of stinks.
General manager Thomas Dimitroff and coach Mike Smith have done an admirable job overall since 2008, turning a perennial losing franchise into a relatively consistent winner (last season’s 4-12 collapse notwithstanding). But their draft record with offensive and defensive linemen has had few success stories.
The Falcons have drafted seven offensive linemen and 10 defensive linemen. The 17 overall have combined for zero Pro Bowl honors.
There have been too few starters and too many post-draft, “What went wrong?” looks. Blame scouting. Blame coaching. Blame injuries (in a few cases). Doesn’t matter. When teams are built from the outside/in and not the other way, they have a way of collapsing, like the Falcons last season.
Quarterback Matt Ryan was sacked a career-high 44 times, third most in the NFL.
The offensive line allowed 100 quarterback hits, fifth most in the NFL.
The defense ranked 29th with only 32 sacks. The front seven put so little pressure on opposing quarterbacks in 2013 that the team ranked 21st against the pass and 31st in opposing quarterback efficiency.
South Carolina defensive end Jadeveon Clowney, the expected first pick in the draft, is a special talent. The comparisons to Lawrence Taylor, probably the greatest defensive player in NFL history, are obviously premature, but Clowney has the potential to be one of those rare defensive players who affect games and game-plans.
“Athletically, he’s better than any defensive end I’ve scouted in the last 15 years,” former Washington and Houston general manager Charley Casserly said by phone. “And I don’t see a lack of hustle in him. I see competitiveness. I know some have raised questions about Clowney’s dedication, but I can only tell you what I see.”
Three players stand above all others in this draft from a Falcons’ perspective: Clowney, Buffalo linebacker Khalil Mack and Auburn offensive tackle Greg Robinson. Dimitroff would have to trade up from the sixth overall spot to get a shot at one of them.
Asked about his draft record via email Friday, Dimitroff responded: “Based on our position in the draft over our six years, we have more often than not decided to address other areas of need in the first two rounds. Because of where we have been positioned, we have been calculated with our selection process when acquiring players along the offensive and defensive lines. We have seen the growth in our mid-round picks, but as I have stated before, we and I misassessed the readiness of some of our players last season.
“That being said, we feel confident in the group we have, but at the same time, we understand the importance of protecting Matt Ryan. I am excited about the possibility of bolstering both our offensive and defensive lines with our early selections.”
The drafted linemen, in chronological order:
Offensive line: tackle Sam Baker (first round, 2008), tackle Garrett Reynolds (fifth, 2009), guard Mike Johnson (third, 2010), center Joe Hawley (fourth, 2010), guard Andrew Jackson (seventh, 2011), center/guard Peter Konz (second, 2012), tackle Lamar Holmes (third, 2012).
Postscript: Baker has had injury problems, but even when healthy he also hasn't been nearly the player Dimitroff anticipated when he traded up 13 spots to late in the first round to get him. The decision not to bring back center Todd McClure last season and to hand the job to Konz backfired, and now there's a question whether Konz ever will be a legitimate starting center. Holmes has been inadequate at left and right tackle. Hawley is a solid backup.
Defensive line: end/linebacker Kroy Biermann (fifth, 2008), tackle Peria Jerry (first, 2009), end Lawrence Sidbury (fourth, 2009), tackle Vance Walker (seventh, 2009), tackle Corey Peters (third, 2010), end Cliff Matthews (seventh, 2011), end Jonathan Massaquoi (fifth, 2012), tackle Travian Robertson (seventh, 2012), end Malliciah Goodman (fourth, 2013), end Stansly Maponga (fifth, 2013).
Postscript: Biermann has been their best value pick by far, with 16.5 sacks and 80 games in his first five seasons before last year's torn Achilles. Jerry suffered a major knee injury in the second game of his career, so we'll never know how good he might've been. Peters has been in the rotation. The Falcons have spoken about Massaquoi's potential. They also like Goodman and Maponga. We're waiting. They also were high on Sidbury after his four sacks in 2011, but he couldn't get on the field the following season.
Not a lot of passing grades. It’s easy to see why the focus in this draft is up front.
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