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Atlanta Falcons: How team needs were addressed in 2016 NFL Draft

By Freddie Boston

Apr 28, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; Keanu Neal (Florida) is selected by the Atlanta Falcons as the number seventeen overall pick in the first round of the 2016 NFL Draft at Auditorium Theatre. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 28, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; Keanu Neal (Florida) is selected by the Atlanta Falcons as the number seventeen overall pick in the first round of the 2016 NFL Draft at Auditorium Theatre. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports /
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Linebacker

On the flip side of that, the Falcons went hard at linebacker.

Courtney Upshaw will come in and do a lot of the work that doesn’t show up on stat sheets. He is a useful addition to the front seven and will be expected to grab a starting job early on.

Draft selections Deion Jones and De’Vondre Campbell both excite. Jones has lightning speed and athleticism and will be expected to help prevent the defense getting torched in the middle of the field by tight ends and running backs as it was in 2015.

Campbell is an outstanding athlete with the potential to become a classic Dan Quinn-style player on defense, but he needs some time to develop his game.

As a whole, the Falcons appear to have done a good job addressing the linebacker spots this offseason, both in free agency and the draft. This will help generate some more pass rush, as well as stop the run and hold up in coverage better.

Entering the offseason this was one of the team’s biggest needs, and they have responded by aggressively adding more talent at every given opportunity.

Next: Safety

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