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Atlanta Falcons Mock Draft Roundup 3.0


Throughout the year and leading up to the 2022 NFL Draft, we will update our Atlanta Falcons Mock Draft Roundup showing picks for the Atlanta Falcons from several prominent sites and draft analysts.

The following are picks in recent mock drafts for the Falcons:

CBS Sports - Chris Trapasso (1/20)

8. Kayvon Thibodeaux, EDGE, Oregon

Thibodeaux to the Falcons would be a tremendous get for Atlanta at No. 8 overall. The Falcons need more edge-rushing help -- a lot of it -- and Thibodeaux has rare attributes at his size.

ESPN - Mel Kiper (1/19)

8. Derek Stingley Jr., CB, LSU

This was one of the toughest calls of the entire mock. I thought hard about a quarterback. My buddy Chris Mortensen, though, says the Falcons are committed to Matt Ryan for 2022, which means this might be too high to take a QB who's not going to play right away. This is not a class full of surefire starting QBs. If David Ojabo was still on the board, I probably would have gone with him because the Falcons finished last in the league in sacks (18) this season. But there's a little bit of a drop-off in the edge-rush tiers, and my next guy doesn't have a top-10 grade.

So how about a cornerback to play on the other side of rising star A.J. Terrell? Stingley looked like a potential No. 1 pick when he was dominating as a true freshman on LSU's national title team in 2019, but he was inconsistent in 2020 and then played just three games this season because of a foot injury. A team is going to have to take a little bit of a leap of faith with Stingley because he hasn't played great for two seasons. The draft is all about upside, though, and he has the potential to be a superstar. I'm hoping he can work out at the combine to ease some concerns.

The Athletic - Dane Brugler (1/19)

8. David Ojabo, EDGE, Michigan

Predictably, the Falcons finished dead-last in the NFL in sacks this season as they sorely lack the edge rush talent to keep offenses off-balance. Still young in football years, Ojabo is still a work in progress, but he has the talent level right now to stress blockers.

Polling several NFL personnel people for this mock, the feedback on Ojabo was he won't be a top-10 pick because of his struggles vs. the run and his relative inexperience. But I'm betting on his ceiling at a premium position to bump him up in this draft class.

PFF - Austin Gayle (1/17)

8. Charles Cross, OT, Mississippi State

The 2022 NFL Draft class is rich in offensive tackle talent, and Cross is a big contributor to the class' strength. PFF Lead Draft Analyst Mike Renner identified the 6-foot-5, 310-pound Cross as a potential riser before the 2021 college football season on Tailgate, and the big man rose to the occasion.

After earning just a 64.4 PFF grade in 2020, Cross turned in an 86.7 overall grade, 84.9 pass-blocking grade and 87.2 run-blocking grade across 900-plus offensive snaps at left tackle this season. He's a smooth mover with great mobility for the position, traits Atlanta should chase at the top end of the draft even with their investments in Kaleb McGary and Jake Matthews at either end of the line.

Baltimore Sun - C.J. Doon (1/14)

8. Kyle Hamilton, S, Notre Dame

Even veteran coordinator Dean Pees couldn't get the Falcons to field a respectable defense. The 6-4, 220-pound Hamilton is an elite athlete who can help cover for plenty of mistakes in the secondary. The ball-hawking safety recorded eight interceptions in three seasons at Notre Dame.

Athlon Sports - Bryan Fischer (1/13)

8. Derek Stingley Jr., CB, LSU

In most years, Stingley would be a no-brainer to be the first corner taken but his injuries and inconsistent team play do make things a little less clear coming into the draft this year. The Falcons won't mind in the end however as he has the skills to come in right away as a starter and feel comfortable being out on an island without issue.

San Diego Union Tribune - Eddie Brown (1/13)

8. David Ojabo, EDGE, Michigan

The Falcons have the fewest sacks in the NFL since the beginning of the 2019 season. After playing only 26 snaps for the Wolverines before his junior year, Ojabo has been a revelation this season with 11 sacks and five forced fumbles. A successful showing at the combine could help him crack the top-10.

USA Today - Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz (1/12)

8. George Karlaftis, EDGE, Purdue

Atlanta enters the offseason with one stat weighing on it above all else: its league-worst 18 sacks, 11 fewer than the next closest team. Karlaftis won't solve that deficiency on his own, but he's as good a starting point as any option available to the Falcons. Consistently double-teamed and occasionally even triple-teamed, the 6-4, 275-pound edge rusher didn't post the gaudy numbers or dizzying highlights that Thibodeaux and Hutchinson accrued, but he beats blockers consistently with his power and varied set of moves.

For The Win - Charles McDonald (1/12)

8. Kyle Hamilton, S, Notre Dame

This Falcons regime has shown they don't really care about traditional positional value so here's a safety in the top-10 a year after taking a tight end in the top five. Kyle Hamilton is the best player on the board and would give the Falcons a young, extremely talented secondary duo with A.J. Terrell.

The Draft Network - Joe Marino (1/10)

8. Jordan Davis, IDL, Georgia

The Falcons found a way to earn a respectable record in 2021 despite challenging circumstances and a roster that was nowhere near ready to run the schematic changes brought in by Arthur Smith and Dean Pees. But in watching the Falcons in 2021, it became abundantly clear that the need to get better in the trenches was far and away the biggest issue.

Jordan Davis can immediately change the dynamics of the Falcons defense and a player like him is necessary for Pees' system to fully unleash. He will make Grady Jarrett better and those two playing off each other can be lethal. He will make Deion Jones better because he'll deal with less contact and will be freed up to trigger and fill. He will make a defense that needs to find toughness immediately more stout and will drastically improve the Falcons' play in the trenches.

MORE TEAMS: All NFL Team Mock Draft Roundups

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