Falcons now at No. 10 in the 2022 NFL Draft order after Week 16

With two games to go, the Falcons are sitting at 7-8, with a road game against the BIlls and a home game against the hapless Saints standing between them and the end of the 2021 season. Atlanta is gunning for their first winning season since 2017, and to cap off a wild season on a positive note as they head into a pivotal offseason.

That offseason is going to feature plenty of trade rumors, salary cap talk and (hopefully) savvy free agent moves, but it’s also going to be built around the draft. The Falcons are hoping their 2021 class will be a factor in their success for years to come, and every single member of that class has contributed to some extent this season. Getting better means adding more young talent via the 2022 NFL Draft, and the Falcons are still on track to pick in the top 10 this coming April.

Per multiple outlets including Tankathon, the Falcons are lined up for the 10th pick as of the end of Week 16. It would be the first time they’ve ever made a pick at No. 10 if that result holds, and hopefully they’d have their pick of a host of potentially terrific players. Much will depend on how they perform over the final two weeks of the season.

If they move up a spot to 9th, it will be the fifth time they’ve held that selection in franchise history, and it has mostly been a productive pick for Atlanta. They snagged terrific tackle Lincoln Kennedy (who sadly spent most of his career with the Raiders), stud running back Gerald Riggs, productive defensive lineman Rick Bryan and fullback Bubba Bean, who unfortunately only played three seasons in the NFL. If they move down a spot to 11th, it will be the second time they’ve picked there, but that history isn’t as rosy given that they picked Michael Booker, a defensive back who started just 11 games over five seasons with the Falcons and Titans.

It goes without saying that adding a stud to basically any position on the roster with this pick would go a long way toward helping the Falcons build on their 2021 season, and if this front office is worth its salt they’ll hopefully manage to grab a terrific player no matter where they’re picking. We’ll update you again after Week 17’s tilt with the Buffalo Bills.

Who are you looking for the team to draft if they do stay at this selection?