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Atlanta Falcons select Keanu Neal in first round of 2016 NFL Draft

By Freddie Boston

Oct 31, 2015; Jacksonville, FL, USA; Florida Gators defensive back Keanu Neal (42) tackles Georgia Bulldogs wide receiver Terry Godwin (5) during the second half at EverBank Stadium. Florida Gators defeated the Georgia Bulldogs 27-3. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 31, 2015; Jacksonville, FL, USA; Florida Gators defensive back Keanu Neal (42) tackles Georgia Bulldogs wide receiver Terry Godwin (5) during the second half at EverBank Stadium. Florida Gators defeated the Georgia Bulldogs 27-3. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports /
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With the Atlanta Falcons’ first pick of the 2016 NFL Draft, they selected safety Keanu Neal.

Safety Keanu Neal is a Dan Quinn-type player, and now he’s headed to the Atlanta Falcons. Neal is a violent hitter who will bring the physicality to the defense.

Safety was a position of need for the Falcons, but Neal can help the secondary right away.

For the Falcons, hitting their draft picks out of the park this year is crucial for the team to have any hope of returning to the playoffs. After a 5-0 start in 2015, it quickly fell away into an average 8-8 season well short of a postseason appearance.

The priorities lie on fixing the defense which struggled to get after the quarterback in 2015. Atlanta posted a disappointing 19 sacks on the season, which was actually three fewer than they recorded the year before, leading to the selection of Vic Beasley 12 months ago.

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The Falcons will have an opportunity to get fixes across the board in the draft this year that will help the team compete for a playoff berth. It’s not just in the draft that the team has made strides in the right direction, they were also busy in free agency.

Center Alex Mack will help shore up the heart of the offensive line which played well in 2015. Wide receiver Mohamed Sanu will help replace the void left by Roddy White. After White’s struggles last term, bringing in a complementary piece to Julio Jones was of high importance. They look to have their man now.

Defensive lineman Derrick Shelby and linebacker Courtney Upshaw will go a long way to helping strengthen the front seven on defense, but the area will need rookies to step up and get better pressure on the quarterback. If the Falcons can register a healthy number of sacks next season, they’ll have a chance of winning more football games.

With the first pick in the books, what are your thoughts? Stay tuned to Blogging Dirty for a full breakdown of the selection.

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