Vaughn McClure: Atlanta Falcons must focus on offensive, defensive fronts in NFL Draft

Atlanta Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff and his merry band of front office personnel have a lot of work to do. That’s an odd thing to say about your GM right after a Super Bowl appearance. But this is the NFL. If you aren’t getting better, you’re getting worse ... or something like that.

The talented Vaughn McClure penned a solid read today about the Falcons needing to beef up their respective lines in the draft. Go give it a read now, if you have a moment.

Although the Falcons had much better success pressuring quarterbacks this past season, the defensive line still needs upgrades for rushing and run-stopping [...] other primary need is at guard, where the status of veteran starter Chris Chester remains uncertain as he decides whether to keep playing.

McClure goes on to suggest potential draft targets, including University of Tennessee DE Derek Barnett, UCLE DE/OLB Takkarist McKinley, and USC OG Damien Mama. He’s spot on, and I’m hoping the Falcons do focus on improving up front. Sure, they currently have more offensive and defensive line talent than they’ve had in years. But endlessly relying on stopgap players isn’t ideal.

Your thoughts?