Atlanta Falcons' 2015 Draft: Aggregating Report Card Grades from Around the Web
The Atlanta Falcons had one of their best drafts in a long time, and the grades around the media reflect that. In collecting the grades from a few different report cards, the analysts around the league media seemingly loved what the Falcons did in their draft.
But it's always tough to be against a draft that fills all the needs the way the Falcons did with their picks of Vic Beasley, Jalen Collins, Tevin Coleman and Grady Jarrett. Atlanta had one of the better drafts in the league to go with a solid signing period to take great leaps this offseason from where it was in 2014.
ESPN
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Mel Kiper Jr: B
Arguably the most well-known draft analyst is ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. He's known as one of the forefathers of the NFL draft scouting community—along with Joel Buchsbaum—as he's one of the original draftniks. Kiper noted the Falcons filling their biggest need and even suggested why they took Beasley over the other edge-rushers:
"The Falcons had a clear need for a pass-rusher. If you looked at things a couple months ago, you'd have assumed they were in a great position. Could it be Randy Gregory? Maybe Shane Ray? Maybe Vic Beasley? Well, in the lead-up to the draft, off-field concerns took Gregory and Ray both out of the equation this high. So though Beasley is a slight reach on my board -- he can rush the passer, but can he provide value elsewhere? -- I don't mind the pick there. If they move down, there's no guarantee they get him.
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The questions surrounding all of the pass-rushers are well laid out there by Kiper. However, he forgets to mention that Shane Ray's film wasn't top-10 quality because how he won wouldn't be sustainable. Few undersized defensive ends win primarily with inside moves in the NFL.
When it comes to Randy Gregory, his issues with marijuana were numerous. They caused him to slip well past the first round and even past the Falcons' second-round pick.
There might be some issues related to Beasley's run defense, but in a one-gap role only setting the edge, Beasley has shown that he knows how to win. The Falcons won't be asking him to do things such as two-gap defend against a left tackle, so they should be able to mask questions about his run defense.
NFL.com
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Brian Fischer: A
Brian Fischer isn't a well-known name, but he's one of the better football minds out there and is an up-and-comer in the draft field because of his experience working for the Pac-12 Network. Fischer went more in-depth as to why the Falcons got an A in his quick-snap grades article:
"The skinny: Hard to find a better convergence of team need and good player than the Falcons' pick of Beasley, who was a great draft value at pick No. 8. Time will tell if they regret passing on local star Todd Gurley, but this is just the kind of player new coach Dan Quinn could develop into a star. Collins has first-round talent, but there are questions about his production in college and off-the-field issues. He's a high-upside pick in the second. Coleman is a steal at the 73rd pick and could be a star early on for the team as a home-run threat. Hardy will be on the same page with Matt Ryan early and Jarett falling in the team's lap in the fifth round is remarkable luck.
Bottom line: Nice start for Dan Quinn in remaking his defense with some great picks from Clemson and a number of other quality players.
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Fischer's favorite picks were obviously the Clemson players Beasley and Grady Jarrett. The Falcons got the best possible pair of players for their needs along the defensive line with those two selections. Beasley is a true edge-rushing "Leo" defensive end, while Jarrett is a Brandon Mebane clone.
He noted that the Falcons should have considered Todd Gurley at No. 8, but taking a running back as No. 8 overall would have just been ludicrous. Atlanta didn't need to take a running back such as Gurley at No. 8 overall to be successful in its running game.
The zone-blocking scheme is about taking the market inefficiency on smaller, quicker running backs and turning them into productive 1,000-yard rushers. Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman should be ideal fits for it, and neither cost a top-10 pick to procure.
CBS Sports
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Pete Prisco: B+
Pete Prisco is one of the more well-known football experts and has been working for CBS for years now as an NFL analyst. He was very complimentary of the Falcons' draft. Prisco broke down his reasoning for the grade and what he thought were the best and worst picks:
"Best Pick: Fifth-round pick Grady Jarrett is a huge steal. He was a dominant player at Clemson and fits Dan Quinn's defense perfectly. Love this pick.
Questionable move: Taking corner Jalen Collins in the second round will be a move that is watched closely. He has a ton of ability, but he had some off-field concerns and only started 10 games at LSU. Good player -- if focused.
Third-day gem: Fourth-round receiver Justin Hardy was a productive college player at East Carolina who can step in and fill the role vacated by Harry Douglas.
Analysis: Dan Quinn had a nice first haul for the Falcons. I don't love Vic Beasley, their first-round pick, but he can rush the passer. The rest of the draft was rock solid. Third-round runner Tevin Coleman will get plenty of action as a rookie.
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Prisco was most complementary about the pair of Falcons out of Clemson. And those were easily their best picks. Beasley and Jarrett should be contributors to the defense for a long, long time under new head coach Dan Quinn.
He noted that Justin Hardy has the best possible chance of replacing Harry Douglas' old role within the offense, but Hardy also has the potential to turn into a starting receiver on the outside when Roddy White retires. At 33, White isn't getting any younger and has a high contract that the Falcons could move on from soon.
The questionable move is a bit of a standard one for the Falcons' 2015 draft. Jalen Collins just seems like a misfit because of the off-field questions, raw technique and lack of immediate impact that the Falcons can expect from the former Louisiana State Tiger.
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Walter Football
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Walter Cherepinsky: B+
Walter Cherepinsky was another one who loved what the Falcons did in the draft. He's been one of the leading Internet draft experts for a few years now as well. Walter had an interesting nugget as to why an A wasn't in the cards for the Falcons with the following:
"My only issue with the Falcons' haul was their second-round pick. I don't really have a problem with Jalen Collins, but Atlanta had Maxx Williams just sitting there. Williams fit what they look for in terms of athletic players, and he definitely would have filled a huge need, yet the Falcons passed on him, allowing a smarter front office (Baltimore) to obtain him.
I have a feeling the Falcons are going to be kicking themselves after watching Joe Flacco repeatedly fire passes to Williams over the middle of the field on third downs. Williams was exactly what Matt Ryan needed after losing Tony Gonzalez.
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Walter makes a great point about how the Falcons just completely ignored the tight end position while also passing on the perfect fit for their tight end need with a potential Maxx Williams selection. However, they could still feel like they have something in Levine Toilolo.
And after signing Jacob Tamme and Tony Moeaki, the Falcons could feel like they have the right group of tight ends to compete for the starting role in Kyle Shanahan's offense. They are probably wrong and will have to address this position in the 2016 draft.
The other thing he notes is that Collins wasn't the ideal pick for the Falcons in the second round, and that is another thing that's easy to agree with. Atlanta could have easily gone with Williams, as he suggests, or with another position such as inside linebacker with Eric Kendricks.
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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D. Orlando Ledbetter: B+
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution's D. Orlando Ledbetter has been covering the Falcons for over a decade now and is very well-plugged in with the team. However, Ledbetter wasn't completely sold on the Beasley pick, noting the following:
"Because of Beasley’s issues against the run and the fact that he wasn’t the best player available, you can’t grade the pick as a home run. ...
The Falcons didn’t receive a “A” because they didn’t draft the best player available. Beasley was rated as a 6.64 by the NFL.com. ...
The Falcons, in dire need of a pass rush, didn’t even appear to consider Georgia running back Todd Gurley, whom Gil Brandt rated as the sixth-best player in the draft ahead of Beasley. Gurley was rated as a 6.3 player by NFL.com. The perennial good teams, like the Packers, Steelers and Patriots, select the best player available. The Falcons, perhaps because they are not elite and still have holes, must still draft for need.
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The big flaw in Ledbetter's logic is that he thinks the Falcons didn't take the best player available. If Beasley was a 6.64 and Gurley was a 6.3, then the Falcons took the better player with the higher grade at the top of the draft. It just also happened that the particular player also fit a need.
Beasley may not be considered the best player in the draft by everyone, but for what Atlanta needed and what it had on the board, he was far and away the best pick. Atlanta taking a running back at No. 8 overall would have been short-sighted and overly wrong for the team's needs.
The zone-blocking scheme that Kyle Shanahan runs has thrived on taking running backs in the third round or later and turning them into ridiculously productive players. The combination of taking Beasley at No. 8 and Tevin Coleman at No. 73 is much better than what a third-round edge-rusher would have looked like.
Final Grades
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| Outlet | Grade |
| ESPN | B |
| NFL.com | A |
| CBS Sports | B+ |
| WalterFootball | B+ |
| The Atlanta Journal-Constitution | B+ |
| Bleacher Report | A |
Overall, the Falcons had a report card that would have made any mother proud had her child had it in high school. The multiple A's and B's on it showed that the Falcons were able to find talent all throughout the draft, and that talent fit what the Falcons needed.
I thought it looked like the Falcons had a great draft and really fit the picks to the needs based on how head coach Dan Quinn and offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan want their players to fit within their schemes. And honestly, that's the most important thing to have in an NFL draft—a vision for what you want your team to be.
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 writes about 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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