Falcons' 2024 NFL Draft redo: How Atlanta could have done better with every pick

I was tasked with doing the impossible. No, I am not going to try to make sense out of the nonsense that was the 2024 NFL Draft made by the Atlanta Falcons. Since my FanSided colleagues trust me for some reason, I decided to take yet another one for the team, be a good soldier and try my best to have a better draft than what Terry Fontenot did for my beloved Dirty Birds. This was not an easy task.

While I could be like the countless thousands of die-hard Falcons fans scattered across Metro Atlanta screaming themselves Tom Coughlin purple from their faded La-Z-Boy recliners, I will actually try to do something about it. For every pick that Fontenot made, I offered a counter pick for every selection. Admittedly, I did like some of the picks Fontenot made over the weekend, but here we are.

I don't know if my so-called NFL mock re-draft would have rated better than whatever picks Fontenot sent into the league office. Truth be told, I would love to be wrong, and the Falcons ended up having the greatest draft ever. I would throw a freaking treat party in my dwelling if the Falcons were to make the NFC playoffs before my 40th birthday. I turn 35 during the first weekend of the upcoming season.

To be fair, I don't even really like my so-called NFL mock re-draft for the Falcons, but man's gotta eat...

Atlanta Falcons No. 8 overall pick: Washington QB Michael Penix Jr.

For as much as I love the player Michael Penix Jr., Fontenot grossly reached on the Washington quarterback at No. 8. Although the first 14 picks of the 2024 NFL Draft were all offensive players, I wanted the Falcons to go defense at No. 8 more than anything in the world. I would love to be proven wrong, as I was about the No. 8 overall pick two years ago with Drake London, but that is up in the air.

What I would have done is honed in on Alabama edge rusher Dallas Turner. While he was not the first defensive player taken, he felt like a safer pick to me than Laiatu Latu or Jared Verse, the two other defensive linemen I though Atlanta could potentially take. So instead of moving back in a deal with the Minnesota Vikings to select Turner, they traded up to No. 17 to take him after getting J.J. McCarthy.

Better pick: Alabama DE Dallas Turner (Vikings, No. 17 pick)

Atlanta Falcons No. 35 overall pick: Clemson DT Ruke Orhorhoro

While I liked the idea of Fontenot going very defensive front-seven-heavy in the 2024 NFL Draft, I am never going to be able to say Ruke Orhorhoro's name correctly. I like the fact he played at a traditional power in Clemson, but I did not like the fact that Fontenot decided to trade up to get him. In every other NFL mock draft I did for the Falcons this offseason, I went with a cornerback at No. 43 overall...,

There were plenty of defensive backs that were available past No. 35 that Atlanta could have taken instead. For as much as I would have liked to see my Dawg Kamari Lassiter thrive in The ATL, or Cooper DeJean bring that Big Ten Energy to the Benz from Iowa, how can you pass on a guy with the nickname Kool-Aid? I would have gone with Turner's Alabama teammate Kool-Aid McKinstry instead.

Better pick: Alabama CB Kool-Aid McKinstry (Saints, No. 41 pick)

Atlanta Falcons No. 74 overall pick: Washington OLB Bralen Trice

Admittedly, this is my favorite pick that Fontenot made in the entire 2024 NFL Draft. It is really difficult to think he could have done better than Washington edge rusher Bralen Trice at No. 74 overall in the third round. Fontenot was all about getting Power Five stars this year. I can get behind that. With Trice having had great success playing with Penix for Kalen DeBoer, I can get behind this pick quite alright.

However, since this exercise requires me to pick someone different, I would go with Kaden Elliss' younger brother Jonah Elliss out of Utah. This is a great football family. It was not that long ago that I realized Luther Elliss was their father. To have the Brothers Elliss wreaking havoc in Atlanta would have tickled my fancy. Instead, Jonah Elliss goes to one of the worst teams in the Denver Broncos.

Better pick: Utah DE Jonah Elliss (Broncos, No. 76 pick)

Atlanta Falcons No.109 overall pick: Oregon DT Brandon Dorlus

Look, I kind of sort of understand what Fontenot was trying to do this draft. He went for depth. If that is what he was trying to do, then be honest about it. The Falcons' roster may be closer to contention than anyone in the NFL world may want to admit. I like that defensive tackle Brandon Dorlus played for Dan Lanning at Oregon, but Fontenot went a tad overboard in drafting defensive interior players.

What I would have considered doing with the No. 113 overall pick was to get another wide receiver for Kirk Cousins to throw the football to. I nearly put Rome Odunze as my preferred selection over Dallas Turner in favor of his Washington teammate Michael Penix Jr. Instead, I sought value and went with Drake Maye's favorite receiving target from last season with North Carolina in one Devontez Walker.

Better pick: North Carolina WR Devontez Walker (Ravens, No. 113 pick)

Atlanta Falcons No. 143 overall pick: Notre Dame LB JD Bertrand

I like that Notre Dame linebacker JD Bertrand is a local product. He played his high school football at Blessed Trinity in nearby Roswell. Notre Dame does develop great players inside the tackle box on both sides of the ball. I can definitely get behind this pick, but since I have to go in a different direction than him in this so-called Falcons NFL mock re-draft, I would actually go for a quarterback right now.

The guy I would have taken with this pick instead is former South Carolina and Oklahoma quarterback Spencer Rattler. The former five-star from Greater Phoenix had an up-and-down college career. Humbled by the process for sure, he would have been the right type of player to back up Kirk Cousins for a few years. Instead, Rattler has a shot at taking the New Orleans Saints' No. 1 job from Derek Carr.

Better pick: South Carolina QB Spencer Rattler (Saints, No. 150 pick)

Atlanta Falcons No. 186 overall pick: Alabama RB Jase McClellan

Ask yourself this. Does Arthur Smith still coach the Falcons? No, then why are we drafting yet another running back?! If Alabama's Jase McClellan is Cordarrelle Patterson's replacement, then I guess I can understand it. McClellan was a fine player in college, but Atlanta already has two outstanding running backs on rookie contracts in Tyler Allgeier and Bijan Robinson. At least it is another offensive weapon.

Atlanta had back-to-back picks in this part of the sixth round. Since I didn't want a running back, I would have gone with Brandon Dorlus' former college teammate in Oregon linebacker Jamal Hill. He played under Dan Lanning in Eugene, a former linebacker himself and his most closely associated position group. As a massive Georgia fan, I loved everything Lanning was about when he was there.

Better pick: Houston Texans No. 189 overall pick: Oregon LB Jamal Hill (Texans, No. 188 pick)

Atlanta Falcons No. 187 overall pick: Illinois WR Casey Washington

Perhaps Illinois wide receiver Casey Washington ends up being the CP replacement for the Falcons? Atlanta let one of the best return men in NFL history walk away over a coaching change. Patterson was beloved by this city in a time where there was not a lot to be positive about the professional football team. This is probably my second favorite pick Terry Fontenot made for the Falcons this year.

Since I have to go with someone different, give me more SEC line meat, brother. I respect what Fontenot tried to do to massively overhaul the Atlanta defensive front-seven. A guy who went a few picks later than Washington to Atlanta at No. 187 was former LSU defensive tackle Mekhi Wingo. With a name like that, why would Atlanta not be about this defensive linemen who ended up with Detroit?

Better pick: LSU DT Mekhi Wingo (Lions, No. 189 pick)

Atlanta Falcons No. 197 overall pick: Georgia DT Zion Logue

For years, the Falcons straight-up refused to draft Georgia players, almost always to their detriment. Now that Fontenot seems to be cool with taking all that great talent out of their backyard and cultivate it, who am I to really bitch about it? If Fontenot wanted to take Georgia defensive tackle Zion Logue with the Falcons' last pick of the draft at No. 197 overall in the sixth round, then so be it, man.

However, since I have to take somebody else in this exercise, I say let's keep it local and go with an offensive tackle from an even closer FBS school. No, I am not talking about taking a book-end away from the nerd factory on North Avenue. I am obviously talking about former Georgia State offensive tackle Travis Glover. He went a few picks later to the Green Bay Packers in the sixth round at No. 202.

Better pick: Georgia State OT Travis Glover (Packers, No. 202 pick)

Overall, Fontenot's draft may not be as bad as what people put it out to be. It is all about either not understanding the value of using a No. 8 overall pick on a backup quarterback for now in Michael Penix Jr., or it is all about giving Kirk Cousins $160 million in free agency in the first place. Either decision would have been more than justified, but doing both in one year might be utter madness.

Ultimately, where Fontenot will be rewarded most in this draft is aggressively attacking the defensive front-seven, as well as acquiring a quarterback of the future. The former is obvious, but the latter requires Cousins not being a good investment, as well as the Falcons potentially losing a pick next year for allegedly tampering in trying to get him. Can this franchise ever get it right for once, please?

Only time will tell if Fontenot aced a draft most thought he failed or he sadly proved them right in this.