Since the Atlanta Falcons don't have a first-round pick, hitting on their second-round pick at 48th overall is paramount. But it also means that Ian Cunningham and Kevin Stefanski don't have as many opportunities to address some of the Falcons' biggest needs. Thank you for that one. Terry Fontenot.
It's anyone's guess how the Falcons will address the 48th pick, as they've been linked to several different positions. As long as they don't move down, WR, DL, OL, LB, and cornerback could all be positions Atlanta looks to fill early, so it'll likely come down the guy who offers them the best value.
And by the looks of it, defensive tackle is in the Dirty Birds' early draft plans. The Falcons have a nice defensive tackle trio in Brandon Dorlus, Ruke Orhorhoro, and Zach Harrison, but Harrison is set to be a free agent after the season and Atlanta still has a need at nose tackle after losing David Onyemata.
There is a pattern emerging in recent Falcons' mock drafts
Just as a disclaimer, there aren't many multi-round mock drafts out there, so the sample size is not as large as we would've hoped. But the ones that are out there have seen a pattern emerge with the Falcons. Most in league circles seem to agree that defensive tackle is the position to watch at 48.
Dane Brugler, The Athletic, posted April 15: Christen Miller, Defensive Tackle, Georgia
Brugler was unable to dive deeper into the pick since he did a seven-round mock draft, but it's hard not to see his thought process. Not only is Miller a local talent, he was a stud at Georgia who has been floated by some as a potential first-round pick, so this would be some all-star value to fill a big need.
Mike Renner, CBS Sports, posted April 13: T.J. Parker, EDGE, Clemson
Renner discussed a pairing that doesn't come up very often in mocks: Clemson's TJ Parker to Atlanta. Typically, the Falcons have been more linked to IDL help, but with James Pearce Jr.'s NFL future up in the air, landing a first-round talent in Parker to replace him and complement Jalon Walker off the edge is a dream scenario.
Mel Kiper Jr., ESPN, posted April 15: Lee Hunter, Defensive Tackle, Texas Tech
Kiper says: "Atlanta gave up 4.6 yards per rush last season, 25th in the league, so the interior defensive line is an issue worth examining. Hunter had a ridiculous 52 run stops and 33.5 tackles for loss over the past three seasons and could be an answer.”
Clearly, all of the experts agree that taking some large humans in the trenches (while capitalizing on depth at WR later on) is the right way for Cunningham to kick off his first draft as a GM, so if any of these guys fall down the board, the Falcons shouldn't hesitate to get that pick to the podium.
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