Who are the Falcons landing in the minds and hearts of draftniks?
Mock draft season is here, and blessedly, actual draft season is not all that far behind it. We’re about two-and-a-half months away from the Falcons selecting #8—or trading the pick, we’ll see—and speculation and reporting about their upcoming choice will be a big part of the discussion in the fanbase over that span.
While we don’t know who Terry Fontenot and Raheem Morris will want, we do know they have acute needs at quarterback, edge rusher, wide receiver, and safety to address, and a still-burning need for top-level talent across the roster. With that in mind, let’s look at some of the potential candidates for the top selection, courtesy of the raft of incoming mock drafts out there.
You’ll note that almost every one of these mocks assumes the Falcons will not be in a position to draft one of the top three quarterbacks (USC’s Caleb Williams, UNC’s Drake Maye, LSU’s Jayden Daniels) at #8, which means either a swap up or a free agent/trade option at the position is considered a must here. We’ll see if it plays out that way.
The Falcoholic’s Kevin Knight: Florida EDGE Jared Verse
Kevin talked about his mock picks in the video below, so check out his rationale for adding Verse there. Suffice to say he (and I agree with him, for what it’s worth) is a big fan of perhaps the most well-rounded pass rusher in this upcoming draft class, and if the Falcons address quarterback via free agency or trade, it’s not hard to see why a defensive-minded head coach might love to add a player like Verse.
The Falcoholic/Bleav’s Will McFadden: Alabama CB Terrin Arnold
With no trades on the table, Will lands one of the better and more intriguing cornerbacks in this class. It’s not a quarterback or an edge rusher, needs the team would have to hit on the second day or before the draft in free agency, but adding Arnold to a cornerback group that already has A.J. Terrell, Clark Phillips, and Dee Alford would give the Falcons one of the better young corps in the league.
“This tradeless exercise shows the tricky situation Atlanta is in. One of the top three quarterbacks in this draft likely won’t be here when the Falcons make their pick, which means they can’t afford to let the draft come to them. If they do, however, they could have their pick of one of the top defensive prospects. I previously had Bruins edge defender Laiatu Latu here, which still makes a lot of sense given his connection to the new Falcon’s defensive coordinator Jimmy Lake. And yet, the Falcons could solidify a strong secondary unit with a player who many feel has immense upside in the NFL.”
NFL.com’s Chad Reuter: Alabama CB Terrion Arnold
Will’s not alone in landing Arnold, as Reuter has the Falcons taking the intriguing defensive back, as well.
“After using their last three top-10 picks on offense, the Falcons shore up the secondary with the feisty, strong and versatile Arnold.”
Pro Football Focus’s Trevor Sikkema: Alabama EDGE Dallas Turner
Sikkema has the Falcons trading a 2024 second rounder and 2025 third rounder to the Bears for Justin Fields, so he’s thinking along similar lines to Kevin. He just has the team opting for a different pass rush, going for speedy, bendy Dallas Turner:
“If they already have a quarterback option in hand, look for Raheem Morris to get his defense a premier athletic pass-rusher. Turner isn’t the polished prospect Will Anderson Jr. was coming out last year, but his speed and flexibility are the best in this class.”
NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein: North Carolina QB Drake Maye
I would be stunned if this happened in real life, but Zierlein has the Falcons hopping up two spots with the Chargers to select Maye at #6. Maye is a consensus top three quarterback in this class and has been talked about as the second overall pick, so no, it would not surprise me to see the Falcons sprint to get this deal done if he actually fell this far.
Here’s Zierlein’s rationale:
“New head coach Raheem Morris has plenty of offensive weapons, but he needs someone to run the show. Maye was inconsistent last season, but he has fantastic traits and high upside, so Atlanta makes a move for the QB.”
The Ringer: UCLA EDGE Laiatu Latu
Another pass rusher, and another intriguing one. He’s a favorite of The Ringer’s Danny Kelly, and a player The Ringer believes could lift this defensive line immediately:
The Falcons have been looking for an elite pass-rushing edge defender for what feels like ages. Latu might finally be that guy. The former Bruins star has a twitchy first step and uses his hands extremely well, swiping and swatting away blocks to slice into the backfield. He’s a disruptor who will immediately make the Atlanta line better.”
CBS Sports’s Garrett Podell: Alabama EDGE Dallas Turner
Turner again here, with another analyst underscoring the team’s huge need for pass rushing help.
“The Falcons could potentially trade up to No. 3 for Jayden Daniels, but this early in the offseason, aka draft season, I will have them staying put for now. They could also be in on the Justin Fields sweepstakes. However, Atlanta needs help along the edge with 37-year-old Calais Campbell hitting free agency, and no player on the team totaling at least seven sacks. The only pass rusher who totaled more sacks (22.5), tackles for loss (32.5) and quarterback pressures (117) than Turner from 2021-2023 was former teammate Will Anderson Jr. Turner isn’t as polished entering the league as Anderson Jr. was, but the physical tools are there. Atlanta snags arguably the most pro-ready edge rusher prospect in the 2024 class.”y
33rd Team’s Connor Livesay: Alabama EDGE Dallas Turner
“Without one of the top three quarterbacks falling to the Atlanta Falcons, you can expect them to consider one of the top edge rushers or cornerbacks.
While there is no consensus EDGE1 in this year’s class, Dallas Turner’s upside, given his size, length and athletic traits makes him an intriguing plug-and-play option.”
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