2012 NFL Draft: Atlanta Falcons' 4 Areas of Immediate Need

After boldly trading up for wide receiver Julio Jones last year, the Atlanta Falcons aren’t left with many selections coming into this year’s NFL draft.

Atlanta won’t be on the clock until the second round and currently holds a grand total of five picks. That shrinks Atlanta’s margin of error ever so much, as the team has many holes to fill and will have to be sure to make every selection count. 

Here are four areas of immediate need the Falcons will have to address come draft day. 

 



1. Offensive Tackle

Left tackle Sam Baker was one of the weakest links on an offensive line that took a big step backwards in 2011.

Will Svitek was admirable in relief after Baker lost his starting job late in the season. However, Svitek struggled too much down the stretch to convince the front office that he deserves the nod in the long term.

Atlanta needs to find someone to lock the position down for years to come, and that won’t be easy without a first-round pick in next month’s draft.

The Falcons might have no choice but to settle for a developmental tackle in the second round or later to sit behind Svitek for a year.  

2. Offensive Guard

Atlanta thought Garrett Reynolds could step in at right guard for Harvey Dahl after he left for the St. Louis Rams last July.

Unfortunately, that proved to be a mistake, as Reynolds failed to impress and was benched mid-season in favor of Joe Hawley, who proved to be serviceable but is better suited at center.

The Falcons might give third-year pro Mike Johnson a shot at the starting job, but look for them to draft a guard to come in and compete for the spot.

3. Defensive End

John Abraham has been Atlanta’s star pass rusher the past five seasons, but signs point to the aging defensive end testing the open market when free agency opens on March 13.

Unless they are able to sign a top free agent defensive end, the Falcons will be left to hope for the best with a rotation of Lawrence Sidbury and Cliff Matthews at right end next season.

That doesn’t bode well for the team considering how virtually non-existent Atlanta’s pass rush has been outside of Abraham.

With Abraham likely gone and starting left end Ray Edwards coming off a disappointing first season in Atlanta, the Falcons will need to look into drafting a young pass rusher who could potentially develop into a disruptive force in the coming years.

4. Tight End

The Falcons are set at tight end this year with All-Pro Tony Gonzalez returning for a 16th season.

However, Gonzalez has alluded to this season probably being his last, and that means the time is now for Atlanta to groom his heir apparent.

Michael Palmer has played well in a reserve role, but hasn't shown to be worth anything more than a decent second-stringer at this point.

With the Falcons moving to a vertical passing offense under new offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter, the team should acquire a quality pass-catching tight end in the upcoming draft.

Even if that ends up being a project player taken in the later rounds, sitting behind Gonzalez and learning from the future hall of famer would only help his transition into the league.