Whilst Arthur Smith’s first season with the Falcons was an improvement over 2020, they still finished with a 7-10 record. This marked the team’s fourth consecutive losing season. The much-needed rebuild was initiated this offseason, with the departure of long-time quarterback Matt Ryan signalling the beginning of a new era in Atlanta. 2022 looks set to be an interesting, if uncertain season for the Falcons.
Offseason additions and losses
The Falcons are at the start of a rebuild and it shows. They handed out 23 contracts this offseason, the longest of which was for two years. 18 of those players are earning less than $2 million per season. Their biggest expense was bringing in Marcus Mariota to replace Matt Ryan on a two-year, $18.75 million deal. Two other notable names were veteran cornerback Casey Hayward who joined on a two-year, $11 million deal, and wide receiver Bryan Edwards, whom they acquired in a trade with the Raiders.
Another part of this rebuild was shedding veteran contracts. The Falcons cut a couple of big names in running back Mike Davis and edge rusher Dante Fowler. They also traded franchise legend Matt Ryan to the Colts, absorbing an astonishing $40.5 million in dead cap for 2022. Several other 2021 starters were allowed to walk in free agency, including Russell Gage, Hayden Hurst, and Foye Oluokun.
2022 NFL Draft
| Pick | Player |
| 1.8 | Drake London – WR, USC |
| 2.38 | Arnold Ebiketie – EDGE, Penn State |
| 2.58 | Troy Andersen – LB, Montana State |
| 3.74 | Desmond Ridder – QB, Cincinnati |
| 3.82 | DeAngelo Malone – EDGE, Western Kentucky |
| 5.151 | Tyler Allgeier – RB, BYU |
| 6.190 | Justin Shaffer – IOL, Georgia |
| 6.213 | John FitzPatrick – TE, Georgia |
Everyone wondered if the Falcons would take a quarterback early in this draft. In the end they left it until the third round, but not before they landed three excellent prospects. Drake London will be the team’s WR1 from day one, whilst Arnold Ebiketie gives them some pass rushing talent that they desperately need. Troy Andersen is a hulking linebacker with great speed and hit power. Ridder is the true wild card pick. If Marcus Mariota doesn’t hit the ground running he could well start as a rookie. Given the lack of depth on this roster, it also wouldn’t be a surprise if the likes of DeAngelo Malone and Tyler Allgeier played meaningful snaps as rookies.
Offense
The Falcons did a really good job of improving their receiving options this offseason. With Calvin Ridley suspended and Russell Gage departing in free agency, they landed Drake London in the draft to work alongside Kyle Pitts. The two can work really well together and will no doubt give defenses headaches, with the ability to interchange in the slot or as a true X receiver. Bryan Edwards gives them a solid third option, with Cordarrelle Patterson as the X-factor who will line up out wide or in the backfield.
With Matt Ryan gone, quarterback is a big question mark. Marcus Mariota hasn’t played much since losing his job as a starter in Tennessee in 2019. He wasn’t particularly impressive there either and he ranked 27th in both Football Outsiders’ DYAR metric and DVOA in his last full season. The decision to draft Desmond Ridder could therefore prove to be a smart one. Despite his third round draft capital, Ridder has good mobility and a live arm, with the potential to develop into a starter in the NFL.
Whoever is back there this season will have their work cut out. With the exception of left guard Chris Lindstrom, this is a bad offensive line. Jake Matthews is solid enough at left tackle but certainly not playing at the level he once was. The other three starters of Matt Hennessy, Jalen Mayfield, and Kaleb McGary have been liabilities, particularly in pass protection. They ranked first, second, and 13th in pressures allowed at their respective positions in 2021.
Defense
There are certainly some nice pieces on the Falcons’ defense. It all starts with A.J. Terrell, who is coming off an outstanding 2021 season. Terrell was arguably the best corner in the entire NFL last season, despite playing on a defense that ranking 29th in passing DVOA. He allowed just 200 yards on 66 targets with an incredible 16 forced incompletions. His passer rating allowed of 47.5 was the second best mark at the position. They also have Grady Jarrett along the defensive line. Whilst he is coming off a down year in 2021, he is still a good starter at defensive tackle.
Outside of that there is little to get excited about. The team’s complete inability to generate pressure up front was crippling last season. They finished 32nd in both sacks and adjusted sack rate in 2021 and were also one of just three teams not to have a single player with 40+ pressures. They also lost Dante Fowler who, whilst not a great rusher, was one of just two players to exceed 13 pressures last season. Rookie Arnold Ebiketie has plenty of promise, but he alone is not going to overhaul this defensive front.
Despite the presence of A.J. Terrell, the secondary also continues to be a problem. Casey Hayward is no doubt an upgrade on Fabian Moreau, but he turns 33 ahead of the season and cornerback is a notoriously difficult position to age well at. Isaiah Oliver is a weak spot at nickel, having allowed a passer rating of 130.1 in his last full season. The safety duo of Erik Harris and Dean Marlowe don’t exactly inspire confidence either.
Prediction
2022 is the year where the Falcons are tearing things down ready for a full roster reconstruction next season. There are some talented players that should keep them from being an outright disaster, but the glaring weaknesses on both sides of the ball mean that this is still one of the NFL’s weakest rosters. Don’t be surprised if they end up in the conversation for the No. 1 overall pick when the draft rolls around next year.
