Re-Grading the Atlanta Falcons' Past 5 Drafts

In order to predict the future, you have to scrutinize the effects of the past. When it comes to the Atlanta Falcons' recent draft history, part of the reason why the team is picking so high this year is due to the past selections that haven't panned out or stuck with the team.

General manager Thomas Dimitroff has been heavily scrutinized throughout the offseason, but the teams he built from 2008 to 2012 were able to produce five straight winning seasons, including playoff berths in four of those seasons.

Let's check out the regrades of his last five drafts.

2010

Michael Conroy/Associated Press

Round	Overall	Position	Player	College
1	19	LB	Sean Weatherspoon	Missouri
3	83	DT	Corey Peters	Kentucky
3	98	OG	Mike Johnson	Alabama
4	117	C	Joe Hawley	UNLV
5	135	CB	Dominique Franks	Oklahoma
5	165	WR	Kerry Meier	Kansas
6	171	S	Shann Schillinger	Montana

Sean Weatherspoon and Corey Peters both played out their rookie contracts with the Falcons and re-signed after starting nearly every game they were healthy for. Those two picks alone make the 2010 draft worthy of a C, because getting quality starters is tough.

Whether due to injuries or poor play, Mike Johnson, Dominique Franks and Shann Schillinger never became anything. The one player that is still under question is Joe Hawley; he looks like a legitimate starting center, but still has to prove it through a full 16-game season.

Overall, this was a pretty solid draft that wound up giving Atlanta some depth.

Grade: B

2011

Bob Leverone/Associated Press

Round	Overall	Position	Player	College
1	6	WR	Julio Jones	Alabama
3	91	LB	Akeem Dent	Georgia
5	145	RB	Jacquizz Rodgers	Oregon State
6	192	P	Matt Bosher	Miami (FL)
7	210	OG	Andrew Jackson	Fresno State
7	230	DL	Cliff Matthews	South Carolina

The trade up for Julio Jones will continually be looked at as a true failure due to the depth that it robbed the Falcons of. However, the selections themselves wound up being excellent for the Falcons, and Jones has become a top-five wide receiver.

Akeem Dent, Cliff Matthews and Jacquizz Rodgers all provided solid depth, and even wound up starting a few games here and there due to injuries. Matt Bosher took over as the Falcons punter after being drafted, and he will remain the Falcons punter and kickoff specialist for a long time. Andrew Jackson was cut during his rookie year without ever making an in-game appearance.

Overall, this draft was productive, but you have to hate that the fourth-round pick was traded away.

Grade: C

2012

Jeff Haynes/Associated Press

Round	Overall	Position	Player	College
2	55	C	Peter Konz	Wisconsin
3	91	OT	Lamar Holmes	Southern Mississippi
5	157	FB	Bradie Ewing	Wisconsin
5	164	DE/LB	Jonathan Massaquoi	Troy
6	192	S	Charles Mitchell	Mississippi State
7	249	DT	Travian Robertson	South Carolina

This might be the worst draft of the Thomas Dimitroff era. Peter Konz has been benched multiple times at both guard and center. Lamar Holmes has been a failure at right tackle despite earning a starting role in 2013 and 2014, and he doesn't look to be a good fit for the new scheme.

Bradie Ewing started at fullback for a couple of games, but he was constantly injured and was eventually cut due to his durability issues. Charles Mitchell, Travian Robertson and Jonathan Massaquoi were nothing but depth players while they were in Atlanta.

Overall, this wasn't a good draft. It wouldn't be shocking at all if not a single member of this draft class is a Falcon in 2015. You have to wonder how Massaquoi could have done in Dan Quinn's defensive scheme, though.

Grade: D

2013

Bob Leverone/Associated Press

Round	Overall	Position	Player	College
1	22	CB	Desmond Trufant	Washington
2	60	CB	Robert Alford	Southeastern Louisiana
4	127	DE	Malliciah Goodman	Clemson
4	133	TE	Levine Toilolo	Stanford
5	153	DE	Stansly Maponga	Texas Christian
7	243	S	Kemal Ishmael	Central Florida
7	244	S	Zeke Motta	Notre Dame
7	249	QB	Sean Renfree	Duke

The best pick in this draft was Desmond Trufant, who looks like a future multiple-time Pro Bowl participant. Robert Alford looks like a solid starter as well. After them, Levine Toilolo started at tight end in 2014, but he doesn't look to be anywhere close to a starting-caliber tight end in the NFL.

Malliciah Goodman and Kemal Ishmael have logged a ton of snaps and appear to be quality depth players at worst. Stansly Maponga has potential to be a depth player too. Zeke Motta has since been cut by the Falcons due to a neck injury, and Sean Renfree is a top-notch clipboard-holder.

Overall, this was an excellent draft that helped build depth and still has the potential to yield two or three quality defensive starters.

Grade: B

2014

John Bazemore/Associated Press

Round	Overall	Position	Player	College
1	6	OT	Jake Matthews	Texas A&M
2	37	DT	Ra'Shede Hageman	Minnesota
3	68	CB/S	Dezmen Southward	Wisconsin
4	103	RB	Devonta Freeman	Florida State
4	139	LB	Prince Shembo	Notre Dame
5	147	CB	Ricardo Allen	Purdue
5	168	LB	Marquis Spruill	Syracuse
7	253	LB	Yawin Smallwood	Connecticut
7	255	LB	Tyler Starr	South Dakota

Jake Matthews and Ra'Shede Hageman look like long-term starters after strong rookie showings. Dezmen Southward is going to compete for a starting role and has ridiculous potential at cornerback or safety. Ricardo Allen was cut at the start of the 2014 season, but he has a ton of potential to be a great nickelback.

Prince Shembo started several games at inside linebacker in 2014, but he'll move back outside to "Leo" or strong-side linebacker in the new scheme; his best role is as a reserve. Marquis Spruill, Yawin Smallwood, and Tyler Starr are all long-term backups as well.

The true wild card of this class is Devonta Freeman. The second-year runner looked like a change-of-pace back for the Falcons' old scheme. However, with the shift to the wide-zone blocking scheme that Kyle Shanahan runs, Freeman could be the long-term solution as the featured running back.

Overall, this draft continued to build depth along the defense and added quite a few fresh bodies to build off of. If the offensive players reach their potential, this draft could yield as many as four starters and multiple rotational pieces.

Grade: B

All stats used are from Pro Football Focus' Premium Stats, ESPN.com, CFBStats or NFL.com. All combine and pro day info is courtesy of NFLDraftScout.com. All contract information is courtesy of Spotrac.

Scott Carasik is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report. He covers the Atlanta Falcons, college football, the NFL and the NFL draft. He's also a Draft Analyst for Pro Football Spot.

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