ATLANTA — Year 2 under Arthur Smith ended as Year 1 did — the Falcons are 7-10, having secured the draft’s No. 8 pick. If you were hoping for a true tank job at the end, you were disappointed. The Falcons finished by beating terrible Arizona and a half-trying Tampa Bay. Desmond Ridder is 2-2 as an NFL starting quarterback, which is encouraging if not probative.
One difference: The 7-10 Falcons of 2021 were outscored by 146 points; the 7-10 Falcons of 2022 were outscored by 21. Eight of their 10 losses came in one-score games. (As did five of their seven victories.) They led the NFC South — granted, not the gold standard — in scoring. They finished last in points yielded. Much of this was accomplished with Marcus Mariota, who has since become a galloping ghost, at quarterback.
The Falcons aren’t in terrible shape. Ridder might pan out. He also might not. Having the eighth pick might — might, I said — give them a chance to land Will Levis of Kentucky. (Who was the last successful UK-produced pro quarterback? George Blanda or Babe Parilli.) But now we ask: With a team forever lacking in defenders, do you spend a Round 1 pick on a quarterback a year after burning a No. 3?
