Former Atlanta Falcons first-round bust continues to find surprising opportunities

It’s easy to look back at the Atlanta Falcons’ draft history and second-guess decisions made over the past decade. None were more egregious than Atlanta’s reach for Takk McKinley in the 2017 draft. McKinley was drafted 26th overall for a franchise desperate to find a long-term answer at the edge position.

Seven years later, that remains the case with Takk, one of the biggest draft busts in Atlanta Falcons history. If you have any doubt about this, consider the next four players drafted Tre’Davious White, Taco Charlton, David Njoku and TJ Watt. While also a questionable choice, Taco would have been a much better move for Atlanta.

At least the pass rusher wasn’t as toxic as Takk would become in Atlanta. McKinely made headlines by clowning his own franchise out of town. How this was done was completely out of bounds due to Takk’s complete lack of production and the continued chances Atlanta gave him.

To be fair to Takk, the veteran pass rusher managed 13.0 sacks in his first two seasons in Atlanta. There was reason to believe he could improve. However, his production has gone in the wrong direction managing just 7.0 career sacks since the 2019 season.

Oddly enough, that didn’t stop McKinley from having the opportunity to spend time with the Raiders, Browns, Titans, Rams and Cowboys before his latest stop.

The Jets signing Takk is a bit surprising when you consider the notable names still sitting out free agency. Carl Lawson, Yannick Ngakoue, Frank Clark, Jerry Hughes and Justin Houston are just a few of the notable names still looking for a landing spot.

While none of these players are star passers, all of them have far more upside and ability to contribute than McKinley. The former Atlanta bust continues to receive chance after chance, which is a testament to his talent level and his inability to translate it into production.

McKinley making the Jets’ final roster would be shocking, with the Edge Rusher having not been active since a brief stint during the 2022 season with Cleveland.