The Atlanta Falcons are being pegged as a team that could target a running back early in the 2019 NFL Draft, according to James Park of 247Sports.com.
At first thought, many people might not think this is a good move. The Atlanta Falcons have one of the most dangerous running backs in football in Devonta Freeman. However, things don't look as good at the position as Freeman might make it seem.
First, there's Freeman's health. He only appeared in two games last season (14 carries) after playing 14 games the previous year.
Although he's a fantastic player, the Falcons clearly need extra help at the position. It would be unwise to expect a massive workload from someone who's never carried the ball more than 265 times in a season.
The old backup plan was Tevin Coleman. Coleman proved himself to be an extremely dangerous back as well. He's gone now though, signing with the San Francisco 49ers this offseason.
With that in mind, Ito Smith is the next in line. While he showed potential last season, the Falcons wouldn't want to have to lean on him so heavily if Freeman goes down.
The Falcons offense has a lot of nice pieces in place. Getting another running back to help Devonta Freeman is actually an incredibly smart move. The only question will be if they actually pull the trigger.
Even with his uncertainty, Freeman is still one of the better running backs in the NFL. That could cause hesitation when the Atlanta Falcons consider taking another one in the draft. Especially when they have other positions of more pressing need on the roster.
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