Three things jump out from the ESPN draft analyst Todd McShay's way too early 2020 mock draft.
1. No playoffs? The Falcons are picking 12th, which means they missed the playoffs. He took the projections from footballoutsiders.com.
2. The pick. The Falcons selected Purdue defensive tackle Lorenzo Neal Jr., son of four-time Pro Bowl fullback Lorenzo Neal, is the mock draft. McShay projects that Grady Jarrett could leave after next season.
“The son of longtime NFL fullback Lorenzo Neal, this 315-pounder would help in the middle of a Falcons line potentially losing Grady Jarrett after the 2019 season. Neal made 30 tackles, including three for loss, last season.”
3. Small Schools? Of the 32 picks, none are from a non-power conference. Here's the conference breakdown: SEC (14 picks, none from Georgia), Big 10 (seven picks), ACC (five picks), Pac 12 (four) and Big 12 (two). Alabama State tackle Tytus Howard, of the Southwestern Athletic Conference, went to Houston with the 23rd overall pick in the 2019 draft.
Subscribe to "The Bow Tie Chronicles" podcast with the AJC's D. Orlando Ledbetter on iTunes or on the new AJC sports podcasts page.
