For the first two Falcons mock drafts (found here and here), I tried my best to think about how Thomas Dimitroff and Dan Quinn would attack this year’s group of prospects. The philosophy has been to take the best available player at a position of need. In the first round, Dimitroff has never traded down but has gone up to get a particular prospect he coveted.
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It worked exceptionally in 2011 when he got Julio Jones. The jury is still out with 2017’s selection, Takk McKinley.
This mock, however, will be what I would do if given control. And this time, trades are on the table. Of course, you need two to tango to make a trade. You can’t just offer a trade and just expect it to work. This isn’t Madden.
In this instance, GM Butt’s persuasive powers get the job done with respect to getting deals done. But regardless of which teams I selected to trade with, the idea is simple: If there was ever a year to trade back and add picks, this is it. With more picks, the chances increase of getting good players.
Unfortunately, no one in the Falcons’ organization will be asking for my opinion. But for you, the beloved subscriber, the following is an exercise of how this particular beat writer would approach this year’s draft for the Falcons.
To start, and based on the mock draft simulator I used, we begin with a trade.
TRADE: The Falcons trade the 16th overall pick to the Miami Dolphins for the 26th and 70th overall selections.
First round, No. 26 overall: LSU LB Patrick Queen
Naturally, I’d get the ball rolling quickly by finding a trade partner to trade back. Miami would be a great team to do so with since the Dolphins are in the AFC East and have a ton of picks to work with.
Plus, there should still be some quality talent in the late first round. If Oklahoma linebacker Kenneth Murray slips, he would be an absolute steal. LSU cornerback Kristian Fulton could still be on the board, with that position being an obvious need. But with Murray and Fulton off the board in this particular mock draft, I took Queen with the 26th pick. Queen showed excellent instincts as a starter in 2019, especially as a run defender. He also possesses the athleticism to cover running backs and tight ends. The Falcons could use another linebacker now that De’Vondre Campbell is in Arizona.
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Second round, No. 47 overall: Lenoir-Rhyne S Kyle Dugger
While safety isn’t an immediate need, two of the team’s three top contributors — Keanu Neal and Damontae Kazee — are set for free agency in 2021. This means the Falcons need to be thinking about the future at this position. While the Falcons don’t necessarily need to use their second-rounder on a safety, he happened to be the best player available — by my estimation — when it was time to make the 47th selection.
Dugger may have played Division II football, but he has the size, speed and athleticism that FBS programs covet. It just so happened he was a late bloomer and didn’t grow into his size until after high school. And at 6-foot-1 with 32⅞-inch arms, Dugger fits the mold for the type of defensive backs Quinn likes to have on his roster.
Third round, No. 70 overall: Virginia CB Bryce Hall
Much like Dugger, Hall has the physical make-up to the Falcons’ liking at 6-1 and has 32¼-inch arms. Hall has traits that make him a fit in a zone scheme while also having the size to press receivers at the line of scrimmage.
Kendall Sheffield should get an opportunity — whenever football activities resume — to compete for the team’s No. 1 cornerback spot. And Sheffield’s emergence late last year allows for some flexibility when it comes to when a corner is selected in this year’s draft. Still, the corner position does need a boost in numbers as there are only four on the roster now.
TRADE: The Falcons trade the 78th and 228th picks to the Jacksonville Jaguars for the 116th, 140th and 206th overall selections.
Fourth round, No. 116 overall: Arizona State RB Eno Benjamin
Running back is a fairly deep position this year with a lot of quality talent to be taken in the middle rounds. Entering the 2019 college season, Benjamin was thought to be one of the top prospects at the position and potentially a late first-rounder. His stock has since slipped as he’s now deemed a middle-rounder. But in what is a fairly deep class at running back, Benjamin’s skillset fits what the Falcons want to do philosophically.
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Benjamin has a nice blend of power and escapability, and those are traits the Falcons covet in their running backs. Benjamin is also a reliable pass-catching option out of the backfield, which is something Dirk Koetter wants out of the position group. Benjamin would be a nice addition as someone who could compete with Brian Hill, Ito Smith and Qadree Ollison to work in tandem with new addition Todd Gurley.
TRADE: The Falcons trade the 119th pick to the Cincinnati Bengals for the 147th and 180th overall selections.
Fourth round: No. 140 overall: Ohio State OL Jonah Jackson
In an ideal world, the Falcons would address center in the first two rounds. In this mock, that wasn’t possible with how the board fell and with the other needs Atlanta needs to address. Therefore, I am using this particular selection to grab an interior lineman who can play center and guard.
Jackson, even as a fourth-rounder, would be a developmental prospect as it generally takes longer for offensive linemen to get up to speed with the NFL game. But Jackson offers the kind of position versatility that Atlanta is looking for, considering he started games at guard and center in college. Before starting on Ohio State’s offensive line as a graduate transfer this past season, Jackson spent four years at Rutgers.
Fourth round: No. 143 overall: Alabama DE Anfernee Jennings
With John Cominsky potentially seeing more time as a pass-rushing defensive tackle, Atlanta could stand to add some young depth to the edge. While Jennings played in a 3-4 at Alabama, he also learned under Tosh Lupoi, who helped mentor him at the edge position at Alabama. Lupoi is now coaching the Falcons’ defensive ends and seemingly already would have a solid relationship with Jennings. This would be a natural fit in the middle rounds of this year’s draft.
Fifth round, No. 147 overall: Georgia Southern CB Kindle Vildor
With Atlanta low on numbers at cornerback following Desmond Trufant’s release, I’d suggest taking two in this year’s haul. While Vildor is 5-10, his 32¼-inch arms give him the ideal length that the team is looking for at the position. At the NFL Scouting Combine, Vildor ran the 40-yard dash in 4.44 seconds, put up 225 pounds 22 times and posted a vertical jump of 39.5 inches. He also participated in the Senior Bowl, which means he’s the type of prospect Atlanta — or any team — would feel better about taking in a later round since there is already a lot of information available about him.
Sixth round, No. 180 overall: Southern Mississippi WR Quez Watkins
Watkins does have a lot of refining to do before becoming a complete player. But whenever a player clocks a 40-yard dash time below 4.4 seconds — Watkins did so in 4.35 at the combine — it’s going to cause teams to review his film. In the long term, Watkins certainly will be a developmental player at receiver, regardless of which team drafts him. But where he could compete immediately is at kickoff and punt returner, which is an opening the Falcons have at the moment.
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Sixth round, No. 206 overall: Texas Tech DT Broderick Washington Jr.
What Washington may not have in measurables is made up by his motor. During his time at Texas Tech, Washington became a three-year starter and two-time captain. While his frame — 6-2 and 305 pounds — is undersized by NFL standards, he reportedly has the kind of work ethic most coaches hope all players possess.
(Photo: Derick E. Hingle / USA Today)