Atlanta, GA

Who is the biggest draft bust in Atlanta Falcons history?

Published

3 weeks ago

April 23, 2025

Who is the biggest draft bust in Atlanta Falcons history?

We’ve seen some big swings from The Falcons over the years: officially closing the door on the Michael Vick era with the selection of Matt Ryan at No. 3 in 2008 and trading up for Julio Jones in 2011 are two fairly recent examples that come to mind. Even just last year, Atlanta stunned the world by selecting quarterback Michael Penix Jr. after bringing in veteran Kirk Cousins on a very pricy deal with an eye-popping amount of guaranteed money.

There have also been some big NFL Draft whiffs from this front office over the years, and that’s who we’re here to talk about today. Who is the biggest draft bust in Falcons history?

Here are our thoughts. Scroll down to the comments to share yours.

Jamaal Anderson, defensive end, 2007

Four and a half sacks on nearly 1,400 pass-rushing snaps. That’s a whole lot less production than you’d expect to get out of the eighth overall pick, unless that pick was absolutely not a pass rusher. Unfortunately for Jamaal Anderson, he was very much expected to be a pass rusher, and it did not pan out at all. Pro Football Focus named him the Falcons’ worst pick since 2006, and I tend to agree.

In his four seasons in Atlanta, Anderson did barely anything. He had 104 tackles — 83 solo — the aforementioned 4.5 sacks, two forced fumbles and nine pass breakups. He went on to have his best season with the Colts in 2011 — and his best season was three sacks. The Falcons haven’t had much luck in the past couple of decades with edge rushers who aren’t named John Abraham, and Jamaal Anderson is one of the biggest disappointments. – Jeanna Kelley

Peria Jerry, defensive tackle, 2009

The 2025 draft class has been all about the defensive line. Analysts have said from the jump that this is the year to bolster the trenches if you need help, and no one needs it more than Atlanta.

This need has made me think about how the franchise got here in the first place, and Peria Jerry has always symbolized the trailhead. He wasn’t Thomas Dimitroff’s first mistake—that lovely award goes to Sam Baker—but he is arguably the most impactful. He set the stage for what would become a reoccurring issue for Dimitroff: his inability to add quality defensive linemen.

Jerry would essentially miss his entire rookie season due to a brutal knee injury. He was never able to earn a starting role until the final year of his rookie deal, which was the final year of his career. He amassed 5.5 sacks over five years. To add insult to injury, Perry was drafted over Clay Matthews Jr., the cousin of Falcon’s ironman Jake Matthews.

Clay would go on to have a decorated career, during which time he was recognized as one of the best defenders and pass rushers in the league. Jerry, like most Falcons defensive picks, would be judged harshly not only because he failed but because the options around him were tiers better. I don’t like to succumb to the idea that a single player will make all the difference for a team sport like football, but it is hard to deny when looking back at the franchise’s biggest blunders.—Tre’Shon Diaz

Bruce Pickens, cornerback, 1991

People throw out Jamaal Anderson, but he was the eighth pick. They mention Aundray Bruce, but he was actually a quality player for a few years, even if he fell well short of being worthy of the first overall pick. They mention Michael Booker because he flamed out so spectacularly, but he wasn’t even the worst Nebraska defensive back the Falcons have drafted.

That would be Pickens. He was the third overall pick in the 1991 NFL Draft, picked just ahead of the excellent Todd Lyght at corner, quality defensive tackle Eric Swann, and great wide receiver Herman Moore. Even in a relatively weak first round, Pickens stands out as a terrible selection, as the fast but unproductive corner started in just eight games for the Falcons and managed two interceptions, appearing in just 48 games over the course of a four-year career with multiple teams. Considering the fact that he was a top five pick, the team badly needed a corner to pair with Deion Sanders and didn’t get one, and that Pickens basically did nothing for the franchise makes the ill-fated decision to draft him the worst in Atlanta’s history. —Dave Choate

Peter Konz, center, 2012

Peter Konz is saved from being at the top of most “bust” lists thanks to his second-round selection. Is Konz really that much worse than the Ra-Shede Hagemans and the Jimmy Williams of Falcons draft history? Let’s first take a look at the state of the Falcons at draft time: Matt Ryan was getting into his rhythm following a recent 2010 Pro Bowl nod; Thomas Dimitroff swung big on Julio Jones in the 2011 draft to pair with Roddy White; Jon Abraham was typically putting up double-digit sacks; Michael Turner just wrapped back-to-back 1300+ rush yard seasons. Honorable mentions go to William Moore, Tony Gonzalez and Jonathan Babineaux which highlights how absolutely stacked the roster was.

In 2012, the Falcons were short on picks thanks to the Julio trade. Knowing each pick was important, Thomas Dimitroff came away with guard/center Peter Konz, tackle Lamar Holmes, FB Bradie Ewing, EDGE Jonathan Massaquoi, safety Charles Mitchell, and DT Travian Robertson. If you’re keeping track, the whole draft class was a wash. Years out of the NFL, Dimitroff candidly admitted some late round selections were made on mere blurbs, or more problematically, Konz was drafted based on very little research. In short, Konz lands at Atlanta’s selection and gets picked mainly because he seems like a value pick who dropped. Instead, the rest of the NFL clearly wasn’t sold.

Konz first played poorly at guard. Thinking he’d be a better fit at his natural position of center, the organization pushed out veteran Todd McClure for a struggling young player. If you thought Jalen Mayfield was bad, Konz was worse, landing at 34 out of 35 centers by PFF his first year starting. There weren’t bright spots in his game — he just wasn’t up to play in the NFL. Even Jamaal Anderson was decent against the run while Konz struggled in all aspects. Konz setoff multiple down years for the Falcons as the offensive line spent years among the league’s worst. Tough to remember now that the Falcons are perennially out of the playoff race by mid December, but multiple years out of the playoffs for a team like the Falcons was a disappointment. Konz’s bust status cemented Atlanta’s three-year playoff drought. —Matt Chambers

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Atlanta, GA

School rallies around 11-year-old Atlanta student shot in the head

Published

7 hours ago

May 15, 2025

Press Room

School rallies around 11-year-old Atlanta student shot in the head

11-year-old shot in head remains critical

A 11-year-old named Messiah Heard is still critical after being shot in the head Tuesday night. Police have not given details about how the young boy was injured. FOX 5 Atlanta spoke to people at the boy’s school on Thursday.

ATLANTA – An Atlanta elementary school student remains in critical condition after being shot in the head earlier this week.

What we know:

The victim has been identified as 11-year-old Messiah Heard, a fourth-grader at KIPP WAYS Academy, who is described by educators and classmates as a bright, joyful child who brought energy and love to every room he entered.

ORIGINAL STORY: 11-year-old boy critically injured in shooting at Atlanta apartment complex

The shooting occurred Tuesday evening at the Square at Peoplestown Apartments on Hank Aaron Drive.

According to Atlanta Police, Messiah was shot inside his home around 6 p.m. but have not released details about how the shooting happened or whether a suspect has been identified.

Messiah is currently hospitalized at the Arthur M. Blank Children’s Hospital in Atlanta.

What they’re saying:

School officials say his mother and grandmother are at his bedside, along with the school’s principal, who is providing support to the family during this crisis.

“He was so vibrant and energetic, charismatic and just so loving. The whole school loved him. He was an amazing kid,” said Dr. Travis Barber, a mentor at KIPP WAYS Academy through the One Mo Question Men’s Leadership Program.

The tragedy comes just weeks after the school community mourned the death of another fourth grader, A’Erica Dixon, who was killed when a tree fell on her home during a recent storm.

Tree falls on Atlanta home, kills 10-year-old girl in the middle of the night

What’s next:

KIPP WAYS has brought in grief counselors and therapists to support students, staff, and families as they cope with the emotional toll of the recent tragedies. Friends and loved ones of Messiah are holding out hope for a miracle and continue to pray for his recovery.

AtlantaNews

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Atlanta, GA

Jamal Thiare delivers equalizer and Atlanta draws 1-1 with Austin

Published

1 day ago

May 15, 2025

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Jamal Thiare delivers equalizer and Atlanta draws 1-1 with Austin

Associated Press

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Substitute Jamal Thiaré scored in the second minute of second-half stoppage time to lift Atlanta into a 1-1 draw with Austin on Wednesday night.

Thiaré tapped in after Austin goalkeeper Brad Stuver failed to stop an attempt by Saba Lobjanidze and Thiaré beat the Austin defenders to the ball for the equalizer.

Brandon Vazquez scored on a free kick early in the second half to give Austin a 1-0 lead. Vázquez scored from free kick with a right-footed shot from the central position outside the box to the upper right central zone.

Austin’s Stuver had four saves and Brad Guzan saved five shots for Atlanta.

Each team had three shots on goal in the scoreless first half. Austin had a possession percentage of 57%.

The match was the first of three home matches in eight days for Austin, two in the league and one in the U.S. Open Cup.

Austin (5-6-2, 17 points) hosts Vancouver on Saturday.

Atlanta (2-6-5, 11 points) hosts Philadelphia on Saturday. ___

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/soccer

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Family sues Atlanta, former police officer over teen's sexual assault

Published

2 days ago

May 14, 2025

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Family sues Atlanta, former police officer over teen's sexual assault

article

Anthony Anderson (Credit: Fulton County Sheriff’s Office)

ATLANTA – The family of a Gwinnett County teenager is suing the city of Atlanta and a former Atlanta police officer over what they say is a history of ignoring sexual predators within the Atlanta Police Department.

The lawsuit stems from the 2023 arrest of Officer Anthony Anderson after he reportedly forced the 16-year-old to give him oral sex while she was recovering from an earlier car crash.

The backstory:

Police say Anderson met the girl while responding to a single-car crash early in the morning of Aug. 2, 2023. Investigators with the Atlanta Police Department’s Special Victims Unit said the assault happened after his shift later that day.

In the lawsuit, the family alleges that Anderson called off medical personnel who were responding to the scene, took the girl in his squad car to a nearby gas station, and then picked her up after he clocked out of work.

“Under the pretense of offering to drive her home, Anderson took a detour, drove to a secluded section of roadway to avoid detection, and forced Plaintiff Z.A. to perform oral sex
upon him,” the lawsuit reads.

After the assault, Anderson dropped the girl off in front of her parents’ home.

The 16-year-old reported the assault her guidance counselor to Gwinnett County police later that day. That started the investigation that eventually ended with Anderson’s arrest.

Anthony L. Anderson (Atlanta Police Department)

“Not only am I disturbed and disappointed by these allegations, but it also angers me,” Atlanta Police Chief Darin Schierbaum said after the arrest. “We ask the public to trust us to do the right thing, to keep them safe. So, when one of our own is accused of despicable acts with a minor, it erodes that trust that sometimes takes years to build. You can be assured, I will act swiftly to investigate anytime allegations of misconduct are brought to my attention. I want to thank the Atlanta Police Department’s criminal investigation division for their prompt action in dealing with this matter.”

Anderson was charged with oath of office, cruelty to children, aggravated sexual battery, and aggravated sodomy. After pleading guilty to improper sexual conduct by an employee or agent, making false statements, concealing facts, and violating his oath earlier this year, he was sentenced to six years in prison.

Police records show Anderson had been with the department since March 2016.

What they’re saying:

As part of the lawsuit, attorneys accused the Atlanta Police Department of negligent hiring practices and of handling instances of sexual misconduct by officers internally.

“The overwhelming rate at which APD officers engage in sexual misconduct while on the job is the result of negligent hiring, training, supervision and promotions, creating a laissez-faire attitude within the APD that assaulting, battering, falsely imprisoning, and raping civilians was—and still is—acceptable, reinforced, and encouraged.” the lawsuit reads.

As part of their argument, the complaint names multiple officers starting in 2004 who were charged with sexual assault and rape.

The latest case referenced was in 2024 and involves a former APD officer who is facing charges of enticing a child for indecent purposes in Richmond County.

In that case, a spokesperson for the Atlanta Police Department says Benjamin Travis Hopson had been “relieved from duty and placed in a non-enforcement, administrative assignment on May 18, 2023,” but the reasons were not specified.

“As alleged/ herein, sexual misconduct by APD officers is neither novel nor rare and is rather reflective of a history, pattern, practice, and de facto policy within the APD,” the lawsuit reads.

The family’s lawyers also accuse the city of failing to properly supervise officers after repeated violations and of concealing investigation from the public.

What’s next:

The lawsuit said that the teen’s life had “fallen to pieces” after her experience with Anderson, leading her to need “significant professional and psychological support and intervention” as she prepares to graduate.

They are asking for a jury trial and damages, including attorney fees.

The Source: Information for this story was taken from a copy of the lawsuit and previous FOX 5 reporting.

AtlantaCrime and Public SafetyNews

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