The message in The Athletic’s latest Top 100 mock draft isn’t subtle for the Atlanta Falcons… If you want to know where Atlanta might be looking on Day 2 and early Day 3 of the draft, start in Athens.
Because in this projection, the Falcons don’t just tap into the Georgia Bulldogs pipeline once, they go back-to-back with it.
- No. 48 overall: Christen Miller, DT, Georgia
- No. 79 overall: Zachariah Branch, WR, Georgia
The Atlanta Falcons could stay local to fill their two biggest draft needs
Christen Miller solves the Falcons’ most obvious problem.
At 6-foot-4 and 321 pounds with 33 inch arms, Miller looks like what the Falcons have been missing on the interior for years. His college stat line (four sacks, 11.5 TFL) aren’t the most impressive, but that’s not what nose tackles are drafted for. What stands out in scouting reports is his lower body power, balance, and ability to hold ground, traits that translate immediately to Sundays.
For a Falcons front that has struggled to consistently control the line of scrimmage against the run, Miller isn’t a rotational piece. He’s a projected Week 1 starter at nose tackle. Pairing Miller inside with last year’s first round Georgia edge, Jalon Walker, would give Atlanta a defensive front built on SEC caliber size and power, developed under Kirby Smart.
That’s not accidental. Smart recently mentioned that Georgia and the Falcons have begun building a stronger relationship. This mock draft reads like proof of concept, especially since Ian Cunningham worked under Howie Roseman--a man whose turned to the Georgia well many times over the years.
Zachariah Branch at 79 fixes a different, quieter issue
The Atlanta Falcons have size at receiver with Drake London. They have versatility at tight end with Kyle Pitts. They have a running back in Bijan Robinson who doubles as a receiving threat.
What they don’t have is a true separator from the slot. A receiver who wins with quickness instead of catch radius. Zachariah Branch is exactly that. He is dangerous after the catch and will also offer the Dirty Birds some extra juice in the return game. He's exactly what this offense has needed at WR.
The idea of taking Branch just got more real as the Falcons scheduled a 30 visit with him. For years, it felt like the Falcons avoided Georgia prospects. That changed when they took Jalon Walker in the first round last year. This mock suggests that wasn’t a one-off, and this new regime likes local talent.
Miller gives Atlanta interior strength it desperately needs. Branch gives Atlanta a skill set the offense is missing. Both were developed 70 miles down the road in a system built on NFL translation. If this mock is any indication, the Falcons’ draft board might start with the SEC logo on it, and more specifically, a Georgia helmet.