Mock draft roundup: Atlanta Falcons go defense early

Oct 18, 2014; Tempe, AZ, USA; Stanford Cardinal offensive tackle Andrus Peat (70) against the Arizona State Sun Devils at Sun Devil Stadium. The Sun Devils defeated the Cardinal 26-10. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

NFL.com: Lance Zierlein, Brian Baldinger, Bucky Brooks, Charles Davis

The four selections from the NFL.com panel are all different, and some are a little surprising. 

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Out of the four first-round projections, how many are defensive players?

Just one.

A lot of this comes down to how the draft falls, and the Falcons face the prospect of a number of premier pass-rushers being taken before they pick at No. 8.

In the case of three of the NFL.com experts, the Falcons have filled another need by picking the best player available.

Here are their picks:

Lance Zierlein — OT Andrus Peat, Stanford

Brian Baldinger — OLB Vic Beasley, Clemson

Bucky Brooks — OT La’el Collins, LSU

Charles Davis — RB Todd Gurley, Georgia

It seems surprising that a team in desperate need of a pass-rusher would go offense in the first-round.

Despite that, in all three of those mocks, Dante Fowler, Vic Beasley and Shane Ray are all gone by the time the Falcons pick.

If this does indeed happen on draft day, would the Falcons take the best player available even if this is on offense? Or would they look to strike a trade for a player like Alvin Dupree?

Next: The pick from WalterFootball.com