Atlanta Falcons make splashy first round decision in this mock draft

MOBILE, AL - JANUARY 30: Safety Richie Grant #27 from Central Florida of the American Team during the 2021 Resse's Senior Bowl at Hancock Whitney Stadium on the campus of the University of South Alabama on January 30, 2021 in Mobile, Alabama. The National Team defeated the American Team 27-24. (Photo by Don Juan Moore/Getty Images)
MOBILE, AL - JANUARY 30: Safety Richie Grant #27 from Central Florida of the American Team during the 2021 Resse's Senior Bowl at Hancock Whitney Stadium on the campus of the University of South Alabama on January 30, 2021 in Mobile, Alabama. The National Team defeated the American Team 27-24. (Photo by Don Juan Moore/Getty Images) /
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NORMAN, OK – SEPTEMBER 25: Defensive coordinator Alex Grinch of the Oklahoma Sooners greets defensive end Isaiah Thomas #95 before a game against the West Virginia Mountaineers at Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium on September 25, 2021, in Norman, Oklahoma. Oklahoma won 16-13. (Photo by Brian Bahr/Getty Images)
NORMAN, OK – SEPTEMBER 25: Defensive coordinator Alex Grinch of the Oklahoma Sooners greets defensive end Isaiah Thomas #95 before a game against the West Virginia Mountaineers at Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium on September 25, 2021, in Norman, Oklahoma. Oklahoma won 16-13. (Photo by Brian Bahr/Getty Images) /

Round Three (74th overall): Isaiah Thomas, EDGE (Oklahoma)

The third round is arguably the best location for the Falcons to assess their voraciously bad defensive front while still preventing a “reach”, so to speak. Dante Fowler never reached the heights he did with the Rams, and we all remember how the Vic Beasley and Takk experiments went for the team with first-round defensive line selections.

Therefore, in this mock, Atlanta waits until the third round and their fourth selection in the draft to address this position, taking Isaiah Thomas, a young man out of Oklahoma who mostly went under the radar his first three years as a Sooner but managed to come across as a potential NFL-caliber star in the right system.

The most impressive part of Thomas’ development while in college was his resiliency. Early on, he wasn’t receiving much time to play at his position, and thus was offered the opportunity to switch and gain more time. He refused, and honestly, he probably demonstrated why he can succeed at the next level.

His last season at Oklahoma saw him rack up a career-best in sacks (8.5), tackles for loss (13), tackles in general (32), and quarterback hurries (eight). While these numbers aren’t jaw-dropping like the premier talent which will undoubtedly go in the first half of the first round, these numbers are just a minor point, as his ability to win and contest his matchups allowed for his fellow defensive linemen to eat themselves on the quarterback.

His explosion off the line is a good positive, and his ability to stay disciplined and trust his teammates in plays like the read-option force the quarterback to make a decision quickly, and most times it will result in a neutral or negative play for the offense.

Also, his hand movement is very good when engaging the offensive linemen, which allows him to either excel at all the variations of pass-rushing moves or prevent the offensive linemen from using their hands properly, thus leading to potential holding penalties or free rushers off the edge.