Atlanta Falcons: Report Card Grades for Last 5 Draft Classes

The Atlanta Falcons have executed an amazing turnaround from the crash and burn of the Michael Vick dogfighting scandal under the direction of GM Thomas Dimitroff (who came up under Bill Belichick in New England) and head coach Mike Smith. Dimitroff has been calling the shots since 2008, so we won't hold the 2007 draft against him.

2007: It ain't pretty. An extra second-round pick acquired from Houston in the Matt Schaub deal was used on Justin Blalock, who became a long-term starter on the offensive line, but otherwise, the early draft is an unmitigated bust (No. 8 overall pick DE Jamaal Anderson) and two players who found success after the Falcons prematurely gave up on them (second-round CB Chris Houston and third-round WR Laurent Robinson).

The back half of the draft yielded sometimes-starting LB Stephen Nicholas in the fourth and utility back Jason Snelling in the seventh. Sixth-round DT Trey Lewis made some contributions before being cut in 2011 despite multiple injuries to his right knee early in his career. Fourth-round TE Martrez Milner was a bust, forcing the team to later use a pick to acquire Tony Gonzalez.

Grade: D

2008: A new sheriff brought new success as the Falcons landed franchise QB Matt Ryan at No. 3 and stalwart MLB Curtis Lofton in the second round. They bundled the second-round picks they received for DeAngelo Hall and Matt Schaub to trade up for OT Sam Baker, who has been a mixed bag but not a complete disaster.

Thomas DeCoud has been an outstanding free safety find in the third and Kroy Biermann a starting quality rotational end in the fifth. Harry Douglas is also at least a partial success story in the third, poised to break out before his 2010 ACL tear. This draft is a lesson in how a GM can put his brand on a team right away.

Grade: A

2009: Instant success pushed the Falcons to the playoff-team portion of the first round, and the results haven't been great. First-round DT Peria Jerry has been injured and ineffective, and second-round SS William Moore has only been a little more durable and effective than Jerry. Third-round CB Chris Owens has been nothing more than a backup and special teams contributor.

The second half of the draft is just as underwhelming. Fourth-round DE Lawrence Sidbury has been in perpetual development, and fifth-round CB William Middleton was cut and then stolen from the practice squad by Jacksonville. Sixth-round LB Spencer Adkins and seventh-round DT Vance Walker have at least stuck on the roster, but only as marginal contributors. Fifth-round OT Garrett Reynolds is the only plus pick, as he started seven games last year.

Grade: D

2010: Barely missing the playoffs left the Falcons in the middle of the first round, and they found a keeper at No. 19 in Sean Weatherspoon, a highly productive starting weak-side LB in his second year. Dimitroff turned the Falcons' second-rounder into Tony Gonzalez, which has worked and then some, and third-round DT Corey Peters has been an instant consistent starter. Third-round OG Mike Johnson has been the only miss of the first half of the draft, but he is still on the roster for depth.

The second half of the draft gave the team a potential starting right guard in the fourth (Joe Hawley) and quality CB depth in the fifth (Dominique Franks). The fifth round also saw them take WR Kerry Meier, who has been slowed by an early-career ACL tear, and the sixth, safety depth in Shann Schillinger. Just that none of these players has been cut is a testament to Dimitroff's skill.

Grade: A

2011: This is the draft that Dimitroff will ultimately be judged by if the Falcons never get over the hump and win a few playoff games. The Falcons sent their 2011 first, second and fourth-round picks, plus their 2012 first and fourth, to move up to No. 6 for WR Julio Jones. Jones displayed his game-changing ability down the stretch after a hamstring injury, but the Falcons were still booted in the first round of the playoffs. 

The rest of the draft did give the Falcons a special teams ace LB who is ready to step in if Curtis Lofton leaves in free agency in the third (Akeem Dent), a quality RB in the fifth who should be a big contributor as Michael Turner is aging (Jacquizz Rodgers), a starting punter in the sixth (Matt Bosher), OT depth who happens to have played under their new OL coach, Pat Hill, in college (Andrew Jackson), and DE depth (Cliff Matthews) in the seventh.

Grade: Incomplete/C

What Have We Learned?

Thomas Dimitroff is a skillful GM who will turn picks in veteran starters or an elite prospect via trade when the need is there. He'll look mainly at big programs for his picks and create depth at a position before a need is glaring. Most importantly, he'll rarely miss (or give up) on his picks and turn draft capital into players who have a long roster shelf life.