Ranking every NFL team’s offensive supporting cast post-draft
18. Atlanta Falcons
RB: Todd Gurley, Ito Smith, Brian Hill (21/25)
Even though Todd Gurley may have declined from his 2018-self, he was still effective last season. As I mentioned, he was a scoring machine for the Rams and still accumulated 1,000 total yards.
With a full season behind him, we could see a resurrection of Gurley in Atlanta with great receiving weapons on the outside. Ito Smith and Brian Hill have been effective in spurts, but they shouldn’t be relied on for anything except to spell Gurley on occasion.
WR: Julio Jones, Calvin Ridley, Russell Gage, Laquon Treadwell (23/25)
Julio Jones ages like fine wine; he just gets more dominant every year and cements himself as a top-five wideout each season. He’ll continue to be a dominant receiver for the next two or three years.
Calvin Ridley improved in his second season and showed he could dominate alongside Jones; he has the top-end speed and route running ability to become an elite receiver himself. Gage was effective in the slot last season during Austin Hooper’s absence as well, so the Falcons are set across the board at wide receiver.
TE: Hayden Hurst, Jaeden Graham (18/25)
Even though Atlanta spent a second-round pick on Hurst, I have yet to see anything to convince me he is a starting tight end in this league. Hurst was third among tight ends on his own team in receptions despite the heavy usage. Jaeden Graham also failed to make a mark during Hooper’s absence, so I can’t bring myself to give Atlanta a high grade on this one. If I get proved wrong, so be it, but I’ll stick with this ranking for now.
Offensive Line: Jake Matthews, James Carpenter, Alex Mack, Chris Lindstrom, Kaleb McGray (18/25)
Despite all of their talent, Atlanta still gave up 50 sacks last season. Ryan was constantly under duress, which led to the heavy utilization of the tight end in the passing game. The Falcons’ line is expected to be healthier than they were in 2019, but the lack of additions to this unit supersedes their talent and high draft capital billing.
Total Score: 80/100
Summary: Matt Ryan has always had great running backs and wide receivers in Atlanta, and this year is no different. Gurley may not be back to his old self, but even a slightly injured Gurley is a valuable commodity. Jones and Ridley headline the wide receiver group, while an unproven Hurst looks to get out of Mark Andrews’ shadow. Ryan has the necessary weapons, but I worry that his offensive line won’t show improvement after a horrific 2019 campaign.