The 2022 NFL Draft officially gets underway next Thursday, Apr. 28.
Amid an offseason of turmoil and change, the Falcons will be looking to cement a future franchise cornerstone when they select eighth overall and all options are on the table.
With the trade of Matt Ryan in the wake of the Deshaun Watson debacle, Atlanta finds itself with a true need at quarterback for the first time since 2008.
The Falcons will need to make another franchise-defining selection in 2022 as they move on from the Matt Ryan era and build the Falcons of the future.
To look forward it is important to look to years past. And the Falcons have had some memorable draft day moments that helped pave the way to the franchise they are today.
As we wonder if any of our dream free agents will make the Falcons roster this year, or if sports betting in GA will ever happen, here’s some trivia for the fans.
The Falcons have never drafted a Hall of Fame QB (With the Falcons)
Since 1966, the Falcons have selected 25 quarterbacks in the NFL Draft. And none of them have gone on to enter the NFL Hall of Fame … with the Atlanta Falcons.
Of course, we’re talking about Brett Favre, who the Falcons nabbed in the second round of the 1991 NFL Draft. Then-coach Jerry Glanville was famously not a fan of the selection. And after only four passes in a Falcons uniform, Favre was traded to the Green Bay Packers for a first-round pick.
Well, you know what happened after that.
Matt Ryan was the best quarterback in Atlanta Falcons history. And with his stats and MVP award in 2016, he may be the first Atlanta Falcon QB to have a bust in Canton.
The Falcons drafted the John Wayne in 1972
File under: Weird draft day happenings. In 1972, looking to reach the playoffs for the first time in franchise history, the Falcons pulled out all the stops.
With their final pick in that year’s draft, the Falcons selected John Wayne out of Fort Apache State. Yes, that John Wayne. He was 64 at the time.
Coach Norm Van Brocklin reportedly exclaimed to the draft room:
Do we want the roughest, toughest S.O.B. in the draft?!
Then-commissioner Pete Rozzelle deemed it an ineligible pick. They don’t call it the No Fun League for nothing. But at a point in time, the Atlanta Falcons had John Wayne’s name written on an official draft card.
Atlanta has had the first overall pick four times
Barring any draft day wheeling and dealing, the Falcons will be making their selection eighth overall in the 2022 NFL Draft. A number that brings too-soon memories of Vic Beasley.
Since they entered the league, the Falcons have only held the No. 1 pick four times. A spot they used to snag linebacker Tommy Nobis, wide receiver and franchise bust Aundray Bruce, quarterback Steve Bartkowski, and quarterback Michael Vick.
The most lopsided trade in NFL history
The draft-day trade that defined the early Dimitroff Era in Atlanta. The Falcons moved up to sixth in the 2011 draft order to take future Hall of Famer Julio Jones.
Their trade partner, the Cleveland Browns, received Atlanta’s 27th overall pick in 2011, along with their second and fourth-rounder, as well as the following year’s first and fourth-round picks.
Cleveland turned those picks into:
- Quarterback Brandon Weeden
- Wide receiver Greg Little
- Offensive lineman Phil Taylor
- Fullback Owen Marecic
They also flipped one of the picks to draft running back Trent Richardson the following year. Combined, all of those players played in 203 NFL games. Julio Jones has played in 145.
Four out of the five draft-picks-turned-players from the Falcons-Browns deal that netted Atlanta Julio Jones would all be out of the league by 2014. Brandon Weeden somehow held on until 2018.
The trade is regarded as one of the most lopsided trades in NFL history.
End of game for GM Thomas Dimitroff
Thomas Dimitroff, Trader Thomas to some, was known for his in-draft shenanigans. He earned the aforementioned nickname because he completed a trade in every draft before 2020.
The 2020 offseason was a massive one for both Dimitroff and Dan Quinn, as the writing was on the wall regarding each one’s future with the franchise after two consecutive losing seasons. As such, Dimitroff played it safe and didn’t muster a draft-day deal.
It would be his final draft for the Atlanta Falcons. Both Dimitroff and Quinn were fired after an 0-5 start to the 2020 season.
Photo by Chris Szagola/Associated Press
