Matt Ryan was the Right Pick

There are two facts of professional football that I believe hold true in every situation:

1. A good defense and running game is the key to winning championships. Every recent champion has proved this, even the Colts. Remember that the season they won it, the Colts had a much improved defense and Joseph Addai and Dominic Rhodes were more heavily involved in the offense. A good defense will beat a great offense in big games (see: Giants 17, Patriots 14).

2. Winning the trenches is the most important thing. The team that has control of the line of scrimmage has control of the game and should come out victorious. If you can block well, your offense can overcome lesser talent. The Vikings of last year were able to contend despite the sub-par play of Tavaris Jackson thanks to their line (I know Adrian Peterson and Chester Taylor are talented, but running behind Steve Hutchinson and Bryant McKinney made them a lot better). Control the defensive line to get pressure and you can take even the best QB off his game (see: Giants 17, Patriots 14).

Despite these facts, I believe the Falcons made the right move drafting Matt Ryan over the best player in this draft: Glenn Dorsey. Dorsey could have been a huge step in the right direction towards fulfilling the two rules of the NFL. Dorsey was probably the dream pick of a new head coach whose specialty was the defensive line. Dorsey was probably the safest pick in the draft and will be the anchor of great defenses for years to come. Matt Ryan was still the better pick for the Falcons for simple reason. You cannot put a value on the hope and optimism a face-of-the-franchise leader will bring to a team and its fans.

Great teams can almost always be associated with one or two players who were the foundation. Other than the recent Pistons teams in the NBA, if I named any championship-caliber team of the past decade, almost everyone would name the same player(s) they connect to the team. These teams are built around a dominant personality who sets the tone for everything that is accomplished. While this person can be a defensive player in the NFL, it is rare; it takes the personality of Warren Sapp, the marketability of Michael Strahan, or the on the field attitude of Ray Lewis (having a media circus of a murder trial didn’t hurt Lewis’ recognition either).

This is where Matt Ryan’s greatest benefit to the organization is seen. The Falcons are not in simple rebuilding mode, jettisoning older players to build around a youthful core. They are having to restore the entire franchise from the foundation up. Matt Ryan becomes the face of this new franchise. He brings enthusiasm to the fan base, the belief that the team now has the rudder to direct this team’s future. The team and fan base has to be able to move on beyond Mike Vick and begin to win without him. This was not going to happen with Chris Redman as the starter, regardless of defensive upgrade.

While Dorsey is the more talented player, Ryan certainly brings a lot to the table. He is easily the most talented QB in the draft, has shown that he can make the throws the NFL requires, and has the intelligence to learn the complicated intricacies of an NFL offense. Ryan performed very well and put up great numbers at Boston College with no one anywhere near an NFL level at skill positions. The Falcons offense has had the talent at skill positions; they now have the QB most ready to play a professional-style game.

The final questions: Would the Falcons have been better served taking a Brian Brohme or Chad Henne later in the draft, along with Dorsey at the third pick? While the overall level of talent entering the franchise would be higher, but this still pales to drafting THE GUY of this draft. There have been a lot of good quarterbacks coming out of later rounds in recent years, but there is a big difference in selling your fan-base on the “value” Q pick and the clear best player at that position. The Falcons may not have gotten the most talent or value with their picks, but they got a foundation. They got themselves the new face of their franchise and that is the much more important consideration in this draft.

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