The Falcons have spent several premium draft picks on offensive skill position players in recent years, including the use of their last three first round draft picks in acquiring TE Kyle Pitts (#8), WR Drake London (#5), and RB Bijan Robinson (#7). Combine the numbers of those players with K Younghoe Koo (#6) & QB Desmond Ridder (#9), & you get a Falcons’ “9 to 5” offense that has explosive on-field potential.
All members of the 9 to 5 are under age 30, with Younghoe Koo (29) being the oldest. In fact, most of these guys are under the age of 25, with Desmond Ridder (23), Kyle Pitts (22), Drake London (22), & Bijan Robinson (21) rounding out the offensive unit. After years of relying on aging veterans such as Matt Ryan & Julio Jones to carry the offense, this bold strategy should be welcome news to the ears of most Falcons fans.
These five guys will account for 90-95% of the team’s offensive production in 2023. Growing pains are inevitable with a first year starter at quarterback (Ridder), a rookie running back (Robinson), & a couple youngins’ (Pitts & London) in the unit. That said, there’s still a lot to like about this offensive unit’s elite potential in 2023.
Kyle Pitts already has one 1,000 yard season under his belt, & Younghoe Koo has established himself as one of the league’s best kickers since joining Atlanta in 2019. Drake London had the third most yards among rookie WRs (866) last year despite catching passes from the ever-so-inaccurate Marcus Mariota for most of the season. Finally, rookie RB Bijan Robinson is projected by PFF to lead the league in rushing!
Add all of this up, and it’s clear that while it might take some time, this offense has sky high potential for this upcoming season and possibly even further beyond that.
The Sports Beacon 