In this series of sponsored posts, we'll be looking at the ten worst and ten best Atlanta Falcons draft picks of all time. Let's start with the worst. Today's choice is former cornerback Michael Booker.
I grappled with the positioning here. I think you can make a reasonable argument that Michael Booker deserves to be closer to #10 than #1, but in the end I stuck to my guns. Even if Joe Profit made a compelling case to be here.
Booker was the 11th pick in the infamous 1997 draft, hailed as a big piece of the future Falcons cornerbacking corps. At 6'2" and 200 pounds, he had the size and speed to be a great defender, and the team was banking on that bright tomorrow for the Nebraska product.
The combination of the hype and his draft position conspired to make Booker's production a gargantuan disappointment. Over three seasons with the Falcons, including the 1998 Super Bowl season, Booker managed six interceptions and 70 tackles. While those stats aren't awful in and of themselves, he also gained a reputation as an easily burnt corner who only started because of a lack of alternatives.
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