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Falcons 2016 Draft: Cornerback a need after Jalen Collins suspension

By Freddie Boston

Apr 12, 2014; Columbus, OH, USA; Ohio State scarlet team cornerback Eli Apple (13) celebrates his squad
Apr 12, 2014; Columbus, OH, USA; Ohio State scarlet team cornerback Eli Apple (13) celebrates his squad /
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There is a greater sense of urgency to draft a cornerback with Jalen Collins‘ four-game suspension.

All of a sudden, the Atlanta Falcons are thin at cornerback.

After what was a tough rookie season for Jalen Collins, he has now been slapped with a four-game suspension and will start out for a quarter of the 2016 season. Dan Quinn and Thomas Dimitroff are left to pick up the pieces and will likely need to add another cornerback or two to the roster.

There lies the problem: Atlanta owns just five picks in this month’s draft. They already have urgent needs at defensive end, linebacker and safety, and could also do with more help to the interior of the offensive line. It’s now not a case of not being able to fix all of their needs in the draft due to relying on the rookies; they may simply not have enough picks to go around.

The question surely now isn’t if the Falcons draft a cornerback, but when.

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If it’s in the first round, the likes of Eli Apple and Mackensie Alexander come into play. The smartest move might be to shop their pick as quickly as possible. The Falcons have so many needs across the board and would be smart to find a dance partner in the bottom of the first or top of the second and acquire as many additional picks as possible.

By doing so, they may be able to grab a boom-or-bust edge rusher like Noah Spence and stock up on defensive backs later in the draft. Spence would be a risky pick, but on talent alone would give the pass rush the jolt it needs. Few other prospects could do that.

As for cornerback, who knows what Dan Quinn and Thomas Dimitroff will choose to do. This certainly gives them a tough decision to make with other needs on the team.

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Collins will be eligible to return in Week 5. For now, we don’t know who the opponent will be and what games Collins will miss. The schedule is set to be released in the coming weeks.