Falcons 7-Round Mock Draft: One QB, two trades, Three front-seven players

Over the past three seasons, the Falcons have been incredibly balanced when drafting offense or defense. With twelve offensive picks to eleven defensive picks since 2020, the Falcons don’t lean one direction or the other, although this does not apply to early picks. Of the Falcons selections in the top-50 the past three years, only two have been defenders, Richie Grant and Arnold Ebiketie, and all first-round picks have been on offense.

Last year, the Falcons went heavy on defense in free agency before picking running back Bijan Robinson and offensive lineman Matthew Bergeron in the first thirty-eight picks of the 2023 NFL Draft. This offseason, the Falcons went after offense in free agency; signing quarterback Kirk Cousins, acquiring receivers Darnell Mooney, Ray-Ray McCloud, and Rondale Moore, and bringing in tight end Charlie Woerner. Perhaps this indicates a shift to defense in the early rounds of this year’s draft.

Atlanta, after all, does need an edge rusher. After failing to lure Kirk Cousins’ teammate Danielle Hunter or trade for Haason Reddick, the Falcons have a major hole in their lineup at edge that will inevitably be filled with one or multiple edge rushers in the first three rounds. The Falcons also need a true #2 receiver, as Darnell Mooney and Rondale Moore are probably best-suited as #3 targets. One other noteworthy position to watch out for early on is cornerback. Despite having AJ Terrell, Raheem Morris is a DB coach at heart, so adding a top-notch boundary corner opposite of Terrell would allow 2023 pick Clark Phillips to thrive in his ideal role as a nickel corner