Five perfect day two choices for the Atlanta Falcons

The Atlanta Falcons will have two draft picks tonight during the second and third rounds of the 2020 NFL draft.

Who should the Atlanta Falcons target? Well, we put together a list of players that will be available and will be able to help get the Atlanta Falcons back to the playoffs for the first time since the 2017 season when they lost to the eventual Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles.

Of course, in the first round of the NFL draft, the Falcons decided to address their need at corner with A.J. Terrell out of Clemson University. While that pick was not well received, he is a guy that will help, and under the guidance of secondary coach and defensive coordinator Raheem Morris should be just fine.

But where should the Atlanta Falcons look next? They still need interior defensive line and linebacker help with the departure of De’Vondre Campbell.

Here are a few players to keep your eye on as the Atlanta Falcons choose at pick number 15 in the second round and the 14th overall pick in the third round.

Jordan Elliott – Missouri

"Skilled hand-fighter with explosive upper body strength to stack, read and react in an odd or even front. Elliott has experience in a variety of alignments, allowing teams to move him up and down the line depending on matchups. He’s more consistent controlling gaps than shooting them and has moments when the motor cools and he doesn’t finish. He was highly respected by opposing teams and faced additional help as a pass rusher. He’ll face more one-on-one looks as a pro and could take a big jump forward as a rusher if he keeps working to add moves and counters to go with his early push. Elliott is scheme-diverse and offers high upside with the talent to become a starter in Year 1 or 2."

Rashard Lawrence – LSU

"Plays with dog mentality and is ready to turn any rep into a street fight if he needs to. Lawrence’s leadership and toughness stand out on the defensive side of the ball. He plays with pain and never shortchanges teammates in the effort department. He needs to play with better control of his feet and motor to improve consistency and balance at the point of attack. He can get some pocket push going from time to time but is likely to come off the field on passing downs. If his medicals check out, he could become a solid rotational defensive lineman."

Raekwon Davis – Alabama

"Rugged and powerful with elite physical traits, Davis has the ability to impose his will on opponents and dominate at the point of attack. He plays long and strong with rare leverage for a taller player and holds positioning against double teams for linebackers to flow freely. He was all over the backfield in 2017, but hasn’t made nearly as many plays — against the run or pass — since then. Despite possessing unique traits and the potential to dominate, his upside could be a moving target based upon maturity level and continued growth as a rusher. He should be a first-round pick who can come in and start right away for an odd or even front defense."

Zack Baun – Wisconsin

"Ascending prospect whose explosive production on the field has begun to mirror his explosive athletic traits. Baun’s twitchy get-off and deep bend at the edge is nightmare fuel for Big Ten tackles and he’s still at the early stages of pass rush development. He is aggressive to flow downhill in run support, has sideline-to-sideline range and is fluid dropping into coverage. He’s strong but a little light as an edge-setter so teams will need to figure out how best to align him. Baun is a scheme-diverse linebacker with high-impact potential whose best days are ahead of him."

Troy Dye – Oregon

"It’s easy to fall in love with the tackle production, football IQ and sideline-to-sideline range but his slight frame and difficulty keeping weight on could become a major stumbling block for him in the way teams view his pro potential. His skill set and recognition are best suited along the inside, but due to his size, he might need to ply his trade as an outside ‘backer in a 4-3 defense. He has three-down talent with the aptitude to cover or blitz and is in line to go from plus-backup to eventual starter if he can keep good weight on his frame."

A combination of any of these five guys would go a long way in solving the issues that the Atlanta Falcons have on defense, especially with Dye and Baun at linebacker. Deion Jones needs some help as he can’t cover everyone on his own and both linebackers on this list will provide that help.

It will be interesting to see what direction the Atlanta Falcons go tonight, but there is little doubt that both picks will be spent on defense.