Today’s fun fact: It has been 30-plus years since the Falcons used a supplemental draft pick

Every year when the NFL’s supplemental draft rolls around, we tell you the Falcons are unlikely to make a pick, noting that it has been a long time since they’ve done so.

Do you know how long, though? Because I’m always surprised to learn that the last time the Falcons did so was back in 1984. When they used it three times, incredibly.

Let’s back up: The NFL held a special draft for college seniors who had committed to the CFL or USFL heading into 1984, giving each team in the NFL three selections to use. Steve Young and Reggie White came over via this draft, which is pretty awesome, but the Falcons predictably struck out with their selections.

Joey Jones, the wide receiver they snagged with their first pick, played parts of three seasons in the NFL and wound up with 7 receptions for 141 yards and one rushing attempt to seven yards. Second selection Mike McInnis, a defensive tackle, never played in the NFL. Third selection Dennis Woodberry was arguably the best pick they made, as he survived multiple seasons in the NFL, played in 31 games, and snagged a pair of interceptions with Atlanta and Washington. Still, nothing to write home about.

Prior to that, the Falcons had used a supplemental draft choice one other time, selecting Prairie View linebacker Matthew Teague with the first pick in the seventh round in 1981. Teague played in 11 games in the 1981 season at age 23 without recording even a single tackle, and then never set foot on an NFL field again, making that a truly colossal waste of a seventh round pick.

Suffice to say, the Falcons are not going to be making any supplemental draft selections this year.