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We stand on the precipice of the NFL Draft, my friends. It will be a glorious day, filled with feasting and carefully coiffed analysts talking until their larynxes stage active rebellions. Glorious!
I've been running down each position grouping as it stands today, handing out grades that the bulk of you probably disagree with and breaking down where some of the needs are. It's been a hell of a ride, and once we get cornerback, safety, and special teams out of the way, we're done with it.
The purpose of this article is to highlight the five biggest remaining needs on this roster, needs that the Falcons should and likely will try to fill in the draft. In drawing up these needs, I took into account the quality of players on the roster, potential for young players at that position to grow and depth or lack thereof.
In no particular order, here we go.
1) Defensive End
The Falcons could use a truly elite player here, because they don't have anyone even close to that now. There's some young talent and Osi Umenyiora will help, but the position desperately needs a complete player who can be relied upon.
2) Cornerback
The position has a glaring hole outside. Asante Samuel is a strong starter, Robert McClain was excellent in the slot a year ago and, if nothing else, Dominique Franks and Peyton Thompson could provide useful depth. But the team needs a young, dynamic starter and could certainly use more depth to push Franks and Thompson, at minimum.
3) Linebacker
This position is scarily thin on depth, at least until we figure out what Brian Banks can bring to the table. The Falcons could use a new starter, but more than that, they just need to sort out their reserves. An injury to 'Spoon would be devastating.
4) Wide Receiver
It drops off after Roddy White and Julio Jones and then drops off more after Harry Douglas. The Falcons could use young talent to mop up a few targets and grow with Jones and White.
5) Offensive Tackle
There's only two true tackles on the roster, while Mike Johnson and Garrett Reynolds can both play outside but don't full-time. They could stand to add one more.
Do you agree or disagree with these needs? Share in the comments!