LogFAQs > #954091048

Just because, I felt like it, why don't we go through each franchise's history in the first round of the draft? I'm not ranking the teams or the selections within each team, but I will reveal who, when, where, and make a comment on each player's career.

Atlanta Falcons

QB Darrell Hackney (S2, 26th)
OT Winston Justice(S3, 1st)
QB Chad Henne (S4, 8th)
QB Graham Harrell(S5, 27th)
DE Doug Worthington (S6, 25th)
DT Domata Peko (S8, 29th)
CB Aaron Williams (S9, 19th)
OLB Pernell McPhee (S10, 21st)
TE Cameron Brate(S11, 21st)
CB Xavier Rhodes(S12, 2nd)
HB David Johnson(S13, 14th)
QB Patrick Mahomes (S14, 19th)

I loved Hackney. Even by scrambler standards, he was a terrible QB whose career passer rating was in the upper 50s or lower 60s. He was the S4 starter, and he proceeded to have 30+ INTs and fumbles on what was a Bottom 5 offense. The Falcons were outscored that season by 80 points because the defense was ranked like 19th or 20th in the league, but they improbably went 9-7, earned a wild card spot, and won a playoff game. We've had some other unworthy playoff teams, including a 6-10 division winner that also won a playoff game, but there's an argument that the S4 Falcons were the worst playoff team in our history. Hackney ended up being the first 1st rounder to leave the league as his poor play torpedoed his rating and was ultimately purged after hitting free agency.

The well-traveled Justice, currently on his fourth team, has had a solid career. He has started 112 games and played in 152 total with a career block:sack ratio just under 9. He may not have lit the league on fire and Daniel Inman being in this same draft class hurts his outlook, but he's been worthy as a starter wherever he's gone.

Henne started S5 after the Hackney debacle, and that turned out to be the only season that he's been a full-time starter. It was a forgettable season with just over 2100 yards, 14 TDs, 14 INTs, and a mid-50s completion % (good for a 69.9 passer rating) where the rest of the team carried the team to an 11-5 record before being upset in the first playoff game by the eventual champion Washington. He has since bounced around the NFC as a rather high-end backup (didn't do so hot Carolina but has been excellent in Seattle and with the Giants). He's a free agent now, but a team looking for a backup that won't demand to be starting games might want to look his way.

Harrell, taken after being displeased with Hackney and Henne has since been purged from the league, and since he didn't have an impression like Hackney, I have nothing to back up my claim that I have doubts that he even started a game in his career. He might have just played out his contract, entered the market, and never got signed.

While some players taken after him have only just begun their careers, Worthington has been the best 1st round pick by the Falcons. A backup his first two seasons, Worthington has proved durable the past seven, failing to miss a game. He has accrued 61 sacks in those seven season (six with Atlanta, and the past season with Tampa Bay) and was named to the Pro Bowl in S13. While that may not jump out to you, it's his consistency that I find impressive as he he had 8-11 sacks in each of his six seasons as the Falcons starter (he had 7 with Tampa last season).

Peko was a BPA pick by the Falcons and traded his rookie season to the Titans. I'm not sure what was involved in this trade, but I am assuming that Jonathan Babineux was involved in the trade. Stan would know. Anyway, Peko played in 13 games with 9 starts that season between the two clubs and produced a respectable 36 tackles with 5 sacks and a FF. I wonder if the Titans converted to a 3-4 after this because he never started a game after that, adding just a dozen tackles since his rookie season. He has been a free agent since his rookie contract ended.

Williams has recorded different INT totals in each of his six seasons and has been named to three Pro Bowls. A reduced role and a disappointing Falcons pass D has led a bit of ratings regression for Williams. At least he's been productive even if it is unclear how good of a CB he really is.

McPhee has yet to have that breakout season one would want to see out of him. He did have 86 tackles, 4 sacks, 2 FFs, and 5 FRs last season, all but the FFs setting or matching a career best for him, so he's trending in the right direction at the very least.

Across four seasons, Brate had 153 rec for 1077 yards, 8 TDs in 52 games and starts. Even in one of the league's lowest passing volume offenses and TEs being the way that they are, that is not what you see out of your first round pick. He is the league's second-best run-blocking TE, and it appears that he did have a positive impact on David Johnson, Javorski Lane, and Andrew Sweeney. He's a free agent now though.

Rhodes has increased his INT in each season and recorded a FF for the first time last season. That's really all you can say as the aforementioned lackluster passing D hasn't exactly made it seem like the team made the right decision at #2.

Johnson has actually begun his career with 4.0+ YPC campaigns, which is actually quite impressive for a HB starting out. Unfortunately, he was a backup in his rookie season and missed half of S14, so with 262 career rushing attempts, it's a relatively sample size when compared to someone like Melvin Gordon who gets that many carries in a month. He has a sub 5.0 receiving YPC, but I'm waiting to see a full season with a much better passer to know if he's just going to be a complete non-factor in that department.

While only one rookie was the full-time starter for their team, one could argue that last season was collectively the most impressive year by rookie QBs. The Falcons were undefeated in Mahomes' starts (6-0) as he posted an 88.7 passer rating on 64.3% completion and twice as many passing TDs as INTs (8 to 4). Apparently, management doesn't like Mahomes for whatever reason? I know that they missed the draft and a neutral party selected Mahomes for them, but how can you not be excited?
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KCF can't actually be a real person but he is - greengravy
If you smell what the rock is cooking he's cooking crap - ertyu