The Falcons had an abysmal season in large part due to the large amount of injuries they experienced. From losing Julio Jones, to Roddy White having lingering injuries all year and Steven Jackson missing most of the season also due to injury. The Falcons went from contenders for the Super Bowl to a team looking forward to next season. Looking forward to 2014 the Falcons do have a lot of returning pieces that will be healthier and ready to contend mainly on the offensive end. Although they also have lost Tony Gonzalez their Hall of Fame TE to retirement. The Falcons have helped themselves this off-season by adding to their offensive and defensive lines. Although no star names were added, they did solidify both sides. The offense is basically set for this Falcons team as they have their franchise QB, two great receivers and a solid veteran RB. Most of their problems or needs are on the defensive end of the field.
Draft Needs: DL, S, TE, and RB
Defensive Lineman: The Falcons may have added defensive lineman to their team this off-season but they lack a star on the defensive end. In this draft there are two defensive linemen who can be that guy for the Falcons. Jadeveon Clowney and Khalil Mack are capable of being that guy. I highly expect Clowney to go with the first pick and when it comes around to Atlanta, I expect them to take Mack and be happy about it. Although, who can ever predict a NFL Draft?
Safety: The Falcons have released their safety from last year, DeCoud, who didn’t really make much of an impact at all. I highly expect this Falcons team to find a way to get a couple Safeties onto their team because even though their corner coverage seems to be solid they will need that Safety to cover a large part of the field.
Tight End: As I mentioned before, Tony Gonzalez has retired this off-season, leaving the Falcons empty at the TE position in terms of someone who can catch passes. Their next best TE only caught 11 passes last season. I highly expect the Falcons to search for their next possible TE. Although Eric Ebron would be ideal, I doubt the Falcons would use a first rounder on him and he won’t last until the Falcons get around to picking again. I see them drafting a TE in either the later rounds depending on availability and flow of the draft. If not, there are still some veterans in the market who can step in and make a difference or they can take a chance on Jermichael Finley.
