ATLANTA, GEORGIA – OCTOBER 11: The Atlanta Falcons offenses lines up against the Carolina Panthers defense in the first half at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on October 11, 2020 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
Although the 2021 NFL season has yet to be played, these teams are already prepping for April of 2022
The NFL Draft is used to make teams better. How many teams are hoping that the 2021 season can fly by?
With the summer officially here, teams begin to prep for the impending season. With the moves made in the NFL Draft, there’s hope that those who struggled in 2020 can rebound by the year’s end.
Of course, Rome wasn’t built in a day and neither will several struggling franchises.
For these five teams, the journey will be a long and bumpy one. No matter their draft capital, these fan bases are already mentally throwing a mulligan for the year and prepping for the 2022 NFL Draft.
5 NFL fan bases already prepping for the 2022 NFL Draft
5
Atlanta Falcons
NFC South
Arthur Smith might be able to make a splash as the next head coach down in Atlanta, but the joy has been sucked out of the fan base following the Julio Jones news. Jones was traded to the Tennessee Titans in exchange for a 2022 second-round pick and a 2024 fourth-round selection.
Jones, 32, statically was coming off one of his worst seasons since being drafted out of Alabama, playing in just nine games. Do the Falcons fans care? Not in the slightest. They lost the face of the franchise and abandoning ship feels necessary.
Overall, the offense still can be dangerous with Matt Ryan. Calvin Ridley will now be the No. 1 option after showing he’s a top 15 target. Do-it-all weapon Kyle Pitts might be Jones’ replacement on the perimeter thanks to his speed and size. Mike Davis’ quads will plie drive defenders into the ground.
Defensively? Yikes. Dean Peas might be returning to the game, but he’s headed to a mess. The secondary finished bottom five in every category and didn’t improve this offseason. The front seven has tools, but Deion Jones and Grady Jarrett and likely playing for their contracts this season.
In the NFC South, Atlanta’s defense will hold them back. Ryan’s return in 2022 or not, Terry Fontenot needs to focus on defense with potentially three early selections next April.