2015 NFL Draft Grades: Atlanta Falcons
By Will Osgood
How did the Atlanta Falcons grade out in the 2015 NFL draft?
It would be impossible to not love what the Atlanta Falcons did in the 2015 NFL draft. They added talent, and a lot of it. They got at least three impact players. And at least two others will make the team, though it would in no way surprise anyone if all of them did.
As a brand new head coach in the league Dan Quinn is entering that fraternity with a roster which in short order has gone from aging and decrepit to young and talented, especially on defense and at the offensive skill positions, thanks in part to those being the spots decision-maker Thomas Dimitroff has drafted the best over the course of his tenure in Atlanta.
Below are the picks with grades, followed by individual analysis of each pick and finally a final overall team grade.
| Round | Pick | Overall | Player | School | Position | Grade |
| 1 | 8 | 8 | Beasley, Vic | Clemson | EDGE | A+++ |
| 2 | 10 | 42 | Collins, Jalen | LSU | CB | B+ |
| 3 | 9 | 73 | Coleman, Tevin | Indiana | RB | A- |
| 4 | 8 | 107 | Hardy, Justin | East Carolina | WR | B+ |
| 5 | 1 | 137 | Grady, Jarrett | Clemson | DT | A+ |
| 7 | 8 | 225 | Rogers, Jake | E. Washington | OL | C |
| 7 | 32 | 249 | King, Akeem | San Jose State | S | B |
Vic Beasley…the kind of guy football people fall in love with so easily. What’s not to like? He does everything well. He was the second best athlete at the NFL Combine in February, and had the second best SPARQ score among all “EDGE” players in this draft. He’s everything a team wants in that kind of player.
And he’s going to a team and situation where his skillset will be used to perfection. Again, what’s not to like? Jalen Collins is a nice corner, who some analysts thought might find his way into the back part of the first-round. He didn’t have a star-studded career at LSU, but his best football is likely ahead of him.
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Tevin Coleman was a star in college at Indiana, especially a season ago. He’s an explosive player who fits perfectly into new offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan’s zone-blocking run scheme. He will excel in it with big play after big play.
Justin Hardy likely slots in immediately at the slot receiver spot left vacant by the loss of Harry Douglas in free agency to the Tennessee Titans. Hardy is capable of doing the same things Douglas did when the Falcons spread the field.
Grady Jarrett in the fifth-round appears to be a steal as well. He is the perfect defensive tackle to fit into 4-3 under defense that Quinn brings with him from Seattle. In that defensive lineman play more like they would in a traditional 3-4 setup, allowing linebackers more space to fly to the football and make plays.
The only question marks are Jake Rogers, who was an unknown headed into the draft. But it’s the seventh-round so why not take that gamble? At the same time, the Falcons addressed the safety position with the underrated Akeem King.
Whether he becomes what they need is something we’ll find out, but he scores well in the SPARQ ratings—something Seattle has used to find quality secondary players for several years now.
Overall, the Falcons appear to have hit a home run in this draft, and could have added as many six “starters”. That would be a fine draft indeed.
Overall Grade: A-