Falcons tied for 2nd-highest percentage of draft picks still in the NFL since 2018

Wait, really?

What percentage of Falcons’ draft picks since 2018 do you think are still in the NFL?

If you guessed 90-plus percent, congratulations, you’re both an optimist and a scholar.

Today’s interesting statistic comes to us from a Bills fan eager to defend his general manager’s honor, and in doing so, confirmed that even in the much-maligned drafts in 2018, 2019, and to a lesser extent 2021, the Falcons unearthed plenty of players still kicking around the league.

This may sound crazy, given the poor reputation of some of these classes in the fanbase, but I can confirm it after double-checking. The Falcons have made 42 picks since 2018, and just four of those players are definitively out of the NFL today, or just under 10%. Here are the list of players who are not in the NFL today:

2018: RB Ito Smith

2019: CB Jordan Miller, WR Marcus Green

2020: P Sterling Hofrichter

There are a few former Falcons who are free agents and who might make this list in the coming year, but it’s actually striking how many still have roles. Not a single Falcon remains on the team from the 2018 draft class, but Calvin Ridley is a star, Foye Oluokun is a terrific linebacker, Russell Gage was a well-regarded receiver before injuries took a huge chunk out of his career, and Isaiah Oliver and Deadrin Senat are still hanging around. Terry Fontenot does not have a single selection out of the league at this point, though it’s fair to wonder if Jalen Mayfield (‘21) and Frank Darby (also ‘21) will soon be on this list.

This is not some grand statement on the Falcons’ efficacy drafting, especially when you consider how many of the players from prior years are playing elsewhere. It is, however, interesting to see so many players who may not have found a role in Atlanta discovering roles elsewhere.