ATLANTA — The NFL Draft is almost here, and the Atlanta Falcons once again hold the No. 8 pick for the third year in a row.
The offseason has been an overwhelming success for the Falcons in the eyes of many fans after spending a great deal of money on key free agent acquisitions such as quarterback Kirk Cousins, wide receiver Darnell Mooney, tight end Charlie Woerner and trading for Cardinals wide receiver Rondale Moore.
On the defensive side of the ball, the Falcons resigned linebacker Nate Landman as its most significant move on that side of the ball.
The Falcons have made it a focal point to draft offensive skill players in the first round the last few years, taking tight end Kyle Pitts, wide receiver Drake London and running back Bijan Robinson in each of the last three drafts, respectively.
However, after making a plethora of moves to improve the offense during the offseason so far, I wouldn't expect them to prioritize the focus on many offensive skill players in the draft.
So, who might they take? Let's break down a few possibilities for the Falcons in the first round of Thursday night's draft.
Dallas Turner - EDGE (University of Alabama)
Let's start with the name the Falcons have been linked to most often by experts in NFL mock drafts thus far. Turner is an athletic specimen who wreaked havoc on quarterbacks while at Alabama. He's extremely long -- he's 6'3" and weighs 247 pounds. Turner also ran the fastest 40-yard dash of any EDGE rusher at the NFL combine with a 4.46.
During his junior year with the Crimson Tide this past season, Turner racked up 10 sacks, which tied him for ninth-most in the NCAA. He also had 53 tackles, for which 14.5 of them were tackles for loss (TFL). In his three seasons, Turner had 8.5 sacks his freshman year, four sacks his sophomore year, and 10 in his junior year -- good for 22.5 in his career at Alabama.
The Falcons desperately need some pressure off the edge to get to opposing quarterbacks more frequently. Atlanta ranked near the bottom in total team sacks a year ago, registering just 42, which was good for fourth-fewest in the NFL.
The only knock on Turner is that he struggles to defend against the run.
Turner would be a huge step into helping Atlanta get pressure on the QB.
Falcons most recent first-round EDGE picks:
- 2007: Jamaal Anderson
- 2015: Vic Beasley
- 2017: Takk McKinley
Laiatu Latu - EDGE (UCLA)
If the Falcons decide they do want to go the EDGE rusher route, Laiatu Latu is a force to be reckoned with coming off the outside.
Latu was tied for the fourth-most sacks in the NCAA last season with 13 after also recording double-digit sacks (10.5) in 2022.
The California native has quite an interesting story. Latu originally attended Washington University, but after his first season in 2019, Latu didn't play a game in 2020 and 2021 due to injuries before being ultimately medically retired. But he cleared that hurdle by transferring to UCLA, being cleared to play and is now a very likely first-round draft pick.
Latu has been projected as high as No. 8 to the Falcons, but he has also been mocked all the way down to the end of the first round. So, where Latu fits with Atlanta or really any other team in the first round remains to be seen at the moment.
Rome Odunze - Wide Receiver (Washington)
I was really tempted to put Malik Nabers on my list, but I just don't believe that Nabers makes it all the way down to the Falcons with the hype surrounding him in recent days.
However, even with Nabers likely being gone, I believe that Odunze may be a better fit for Kirk Cousins and the Falcons.
At 6'3", Odunze's height provides Cousins with another tall weapon on the edge to pair with star wideout Drake London -- who stands at 6'4". The combination of London and Odunze on the outside would make Atlanta's already potent offense even more dangerous.
As much as I like Nabers and know that he will be a star, he is a few inches shorter than Odunze at 6'0". Although I don't think that'll make much of a difference between Nabers and Odunze, the makeup of the Falcons roster outside of London is filled with speedy receivers who are under six feet.
Mooney is 5'11". Moore is 5'7". Ray-Ray McCloud III is 5'9". Having a guy like Odunze to pair with London on the outside would give Cousins two dangerous weapons, not to mention tight end Kyle Pitts running alongside them.
I am a believer that offense wins in the NFL, and you can never have to much of it. Odunze (or Nabers if he falls) are the two guys I believe the Falcons should draft to continue the Terry Fontenot trend of offensive skill position players in the first round.
The Falcons selected London and Robinson with the last two picks at No. 8, so why not another player like that in a revamped offense?
Falcons most recent first-round wide receiver picks:
- 2004: Michael Jenkins
- 2005: Roddy White
- 2011: Julio Jones
- 2018: Calvin Ridley
- 2022: Drake London
