FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — In one regard, the 2023 NFL draft left the Atlanta Falcons exactly where they finished the 2022 season: with the spotlight on quarterback Desmond Ridder.
The Falcons will open next season with Ridder, a third-round draft pick last year, as the key piece of a group of young playmakers that now includes running back Bijan Robinson.
Robinson, the former Texas Longhorns star taken by Atlanta with the No. 8 overall pick Thursday night in Kansas City, Missouri, joins Ridder, running back Tyler Allgeier, receiver Drake London and tight end Kyle Pitts as featured offensive playmakers from the last three drafts. London was the No. 8 overall pick last year, when Allgeier was a fifth-round selection, while Pitts was the No. 4 pick in 2021.
If Ridder can hold the starting job he was given for the final four games last season, the Falcons’ offensive foundation will be set for the immediate future under coach Arthur Smith and general manager Terry Fontenot. If Ridder falters, the Falcons may have to look for a quarterback in next year’s draft.
Atlanta, coming off a 7-10 finish, is trying to snap a streak of five consecutive losing seasons.