The 2015 and 2016 draft classes have been lauded up and down for these Falcons, and they’ve been absolutely integral as the team has become a contender. The 2014 class, the last one with Mike Smith at head coach, has received no such accolades.
Sports Illustrated recently decided to re-visit that draft class for all 32 NFL teams, now that every player has had three years in the league with which to prove themselves. The upshot is that it’s a better class than it initially appeared to be, though the team still badly missed on a handful of players.