Atlanta, GA
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
Bryan Schmitt is accused of killing a real estate developer in a road rage incident.
In this 2024 file photo, Bryan Keith Schmitt talks to attorney Don Samuel in Fulton Superior Court. Schmitt’s bond conditions were relaxed Thursday as he awaits retrial in September. (Ben Gray for the AJC)
An Atlanta-area lawyer awaiting retrial in the killing of a real estate developer has had his bond conditions eased over pleas from the victim’s family to keep him confined to Cobb County.
Bryan Schmitt, whose law license is suspended, is charged with murder and other crimes in the 2019 death of 60-year-old Hamid Jahangard. Prosecutors accused Schmitt of deliberately ramming Jahangard with his Mercedes during a road rage incident.
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Journalist Rosie Manins is a legal affairs reporter for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
ATLANTA – A large crowd gathered outside a convenience store in Atlanta’s Glenrose Heights neighborhood after a man was gunned down on the sidewalk.
What we know:
The shooting happened around 7:20 p.m. near the corner of Cleveland Avenue SE and Macon Drive SW in front of the 24/7 Food Mart.
According to the Atlatna Police Department, responding officers found the man down on the sidewalk. Medics pronounced him dead at the scene.
Atlanta police remained on the scene late into the evening collecting evidence, reviewing surveillance footage, and speaking to witnesses.
What we don’t know:
The victim’s name has not been released, and it is not yet clear if anyone has been taken into custody.
What you can do:
Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to call the Atlanta Police Department or Crime Stoppers of Greater Atlanta.
The Source: The details in this article come from the Atlanta Police Department and a FOX 5 Atlanta crew at the scene.
“We need to have a clearer vision on offense, defense, and teams and how we are going to play. Have a coaching staff that understands that clearly. A GM who understands clearly. How do you build players, bring them into the roster that match that system and that philosophy, and hold people accountable for their results and their decision-making and their performance.”
In an article published four days after former head coach Raheem Morris and former general manager Terry Fontenot were officially relieved of their duties with the Atlanta Falcons, now-retired Atlanta Journal-Constitution Atlanta Falcons writer D. Orlando Ledbetter reported that owner Arthur Blank stated the following regarding his takeaways from the outside consulting reports that shaped his decision to let the pair go after the 2025 season.
As you read the statement over again, remember the initial pairing of Arthur Smith and Terry Fontenot. Remember the revolving door of defensive coaches and coordinators, from Dean Pees to Ryan Nielsen to Jimmy Lake, culminating in Jeff Ulbrich.
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Ulbrich getting what he did out of the young core he had last season was a necessity for the Falcons to be competent, because the two-pronged approach to the quarterback position had failed to gain the short-term success the Cousins signing was supposed to elicit, while also not solidifying the long-term answer to the position, the shocking Michael Penix, Jr. pick was supposed to give.
A full reset was necessary. A gutting of how this team has been run since the hiring of Fontenot in 2021 was needed, and that started with the hiring of Matt Ryan. Then, with the subsequent hirings of Kevin Stefanski and Ian Cunningham, the Falcons are on the road to recovery after a tumultuous five years that ended without a winning record and a dismal 37-48 record (43.52%).
Now, with limited resources and only five picks in the upcoming draft, Ryan, Stefanski, and Cunningham have looked to make the most of this first year as they look to clear the Cousins conundrum off the books and look toward potentially competing in a still-down NFC South in 2026.
That leads us into today’s article: Experts around the NFL sphere had their thoughts on Atlanta’s first week of free agency under new management. As Atlanta brought in Tua Tagovailoa and answered a few key questions (while ignoring a few, as well), there were a few grades that the Falcons brass have earned from pundits from various sites.
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We average their initial grades and give the Falcons a consensus first-wave grade as Atlanta continues to go bargain shopping in the next wave of free agency.
Tagovailoa was not good in 2025, but the cost is important in this deal. Due to the nature of his release from the Miami Dolphins, the Falcons don’t have to spend big here, and the potential upside is huge. Tagovailoa earned PFF overall grades of 81.9 and 86.9 in 2022 and 2023, respectively. If he can return to that level, then this is an absolute steal for Atlanta. If he can’t, then it’s a low-cost move that doesn’t prevent the Falcons from seeing what Michael Penix Jr. looks like again in 2026.
The Falcons signing Tua Tagovailoa to a one-year deal makes total sense: Atlanta doesn’t have to change the offense when either he or Michael Penix Jr. are hurt because they’re both left-handed.
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Yes, Tagovailoa is probably washed after throwing a career-high 15 interceptions in tandem with his lengthy injury history. This offseason sets up Michael Penix Jr. for a put up or shut up type of season. The offensive nucleus of All-Pro running back Bijan Robinson, All-Pro tight end Kyle Pitts and former top 10 pick wide receiver Drake London with Kevin Stefanski calling plays will reveal if Penix is worth investing in beyond his rookie deal.
Atlanta doesn’t have a 2026 first-round pick, but this is a team that could have won the NFC South with a more accurate kicker. Losing three underrated players in Allgeier, Onyemata and Elliss hurts, but the Falcons are a team that could level up with even slightly above average quarterback play. They have to eat their medicine from a salary cap perspective after cutting Kirk Cousins, but they’re equipped to challenge for the NFC South crown in 2026 before big decisions will be able to be made in 2027 with more cap space and a first-round pick.
Atlanta’s start to free agency has been a bit of a head-scratcher, with several moves that feel more like short-term patches than clear long-term solutions. The most surprising addition came at quarterback, where the Falcons signed Tua Tagovailoa to a one-year deal at the veteran minimum. While the move adds competition under center, it’s far from a definitive answer at the position moving forward.
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The Falcons are also bringing in wideouts Jahan Dotson and Olamide Zaccheaus. Both players can contribute, but neither currently profiles as a clear-cut No. 2 option alongside Drake London. At tight end, the Falcons welcomed back Austin Hooper on a one-year contract, while Kyle Pitts was kept in the fold via the franchise tag.
Defensively, Atlanta focused on strengthening the front seven. Edge rushers Azeez Ojulari and Cameron Thomas were added to provide rotational depth and boost the pass rush. Meanwhile, linebacker Christian Harris could play a key role in filling the void left by the departure of Kaden Elliss, giving the Falcons another athletic presence in the middle of the defense.
As of right now, the Falcons’ biggest signing by contract value goes to Jahan Dotson, on a two-year, $17 million contract. Since 2022, Dotson’s .8 yards per route run and .1 targets per route run both rank dead last among wideouts with at least 1,000 routes. Olamide Zaccheaus doesn’t bring much more to the table either. Tua Tagovailoa should be their most impactful signing, even if he doesn’t cost the most. Because of offset language in his contract, Tua is all but free for the Falcons. With Michael Penix recovering from a knee injury, Tagovailoa could be in line for a handful of starts to open the year. Tua’s time as a long-term starter appears to be at an end, but he’s a great backup option, especially when his salary is the veteran minimum.
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The Falcons had to address quarterback due to Michael Penix Jr.’s ACL recovery (and his middling play), and they moved quickly to sign Tua Tagovailoa. He was cheap and he has been good in the past, but expectations should be low. There weren’t any big signings while running back Tyler Allgeier and cornerback Dee Alford signed elsewhere. They did hold onto Kyle Pitts by giving him the franchise tag, but that and signing Tagovailoa is tough to get too excited about.
Average Grade: C+
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