The NFL Draft begins tonight with first-round selections. The Falcons hold the No. 31 overall selection and have needs at edge rusher and offensive guard. However, coach Dan Quinn and GM Thomas Dimitroff say they are more concerned with “fit” than filling specific needs.
As might be expected for a team picking low in the first round, there is no clear consensus among experts about which prospect the Falcons will select with their first pick. SB Nation rounded up 98 of those mock drafts and Western Kentucky offensive lineman Forrest Lamp was projected to be the pick by 15.3 percent of those experts (including AJC beat writer D. Orlando Ledbetter ).
Michigan defensive end Taco Charlton and Missouri outside linebacker Charles Harris tied for the second choice with 14.3 percent of mock drafts predicting the Falcons will pick them. UCLA defensive end Takkarist McKinley (9.2 percent) and Alabama offensive lineman Cam Robinson (6.1) were the next mock choices. Of the 98 mock drafts, 30.6 percent of them predicted the Falcons will pick someone else, with none of those players getting more than five percent support.
Here are some selected analyses of the top five players that experts predict the Falcons will select: Lamp, Charlton, Harris, McKinley and Robinson.
Forrest Lamp, OL, Western Kentucky
"He lifted 225 pounds 34 times. He had a stellar performance against Alabama that NFL scouts are raving about. Lamp said he could play in the Falcons’ outside zone blocking scheme. “Obviously, he moves well and he runs well,” Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff said. “He’s a competitive kid. He plays hard. He’s a fun kid to watch.”
"The ultra-versatile lineman can play inside or outside on a frontline that seeks more athletic blockers."
"Arguably the best OL in this year's draft."
Taco Charlton, DE, Michigan
"Had the Falcons only been able to keep pressure on Tom Brady in the fourth quarter of the Super Bowl. Addressing that shortcoming (is Charlton)."
"The Falcons are another team that needs pass-rushing help. Charlton needs to get a little stronger, but has nice size and athleticism."
"Dan Quinn is from Pete Carroll’s school — never enough edge rushers."
Charles Harris, OLB, Missouri
"It’s a good draft to continue to add pass-rushers to the mix in Atlanta, and Harris brings perhaps the draft’s best spin move to their defensive front. He emerged as one of the nation’s top pass-rushers over the last two years, and his 88.7 rush grade ranked 12th in 2016. He’s picked up 20 sacks, 37 QB hits, and 77 hurries on 877 rushes over the last three years and he’ll step in as a situational rusher while he continues to develop as a run defender."
"Vic Beasley Jr. was a breakout pass rusher as a hybrid defender for coach Dan Quinn, but the Falcons could use more pop off the edge. Some like Harris more as a 3-4 outside linebacker, but his ability to flip inside and get to the QB, a la Michael Bennett, has great appeal to Atlanta."
Takkarist McKinley, DE, UCLA
"Atlanta’s defensive line is a mess, outside of Vic Beasley, who is poised for a regression year in 2017. The Falcons need another viable pass rusher and they land that in McKinley, who only fell because of injury concerns."
Cam Robinson, OL, Alabama
"The NFC champs didn't lose much this offseason, but starting G Chris Chester did retire. Robinson could more than fill that vacancy and maybe even kick out to tackle, his college position, at some point."
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