PFF says Falcons missed the boat on Matt Ryan’s trade value

The Atlanta Falcons have made their share of mistakes in the draft over the last five years. The team has missed on a handful of players, including multiple second- and third-round picks. However, what if the Falcons’ biggest draft mistake was not acquiring more assets when they had the chance?

Pro Football Focus released a new feature highlighting each team’s biggest draft blunder over the last five years. PFF’s Mike Renner said Atlanta’s biggest mistake was not capitalizing on Matt Ryan’s trade value before it was too late:

“If you’re not a fan of the Falcons or an NFL South rival, it may surprise you to know that Atlanta has been below .500 for the entire span covered by this article — five straight years of mediocrity or worse. They refused to hit a hard reset after going 4-12 in 2020 and, in turn, held on to Matt Ryan past his usefulness in the trade market.“

With the benefit of hindsight, it’s easy to say the Falcons should have moved Ryan sooner. However, the salary cap was already in bad shape at the time, and that was before moving Julio Jones.

It’s also true that the compensation Atlanta received for Ryan — a third-round pick — would have been significantly more. The Falcons could have received at least a second-rounder for the former MVP had they moved him earlier.

You could also argue that the team’s biggest draft blunder was any one of the team’s missed draft picks. Third-round pick Jalen Mayfield, and second-rounder Marlon Davidson are two of the biggest in recent memory.

Both players fell out of favor very early in their careers, but while Mayfield still has a chance to turn things around, Davidson was released by the Falcons last offseason after appearing in just 19 career games.

On a positive note, the team is projected to have the second-most cap space in the NFL this offseason. Throw in another top-10 pick and the future looks as bright as ever in Atlanta.