FLOWERY BRANCH – A lot of attention has been focused on what the Falcons will do in the first round of the NFL draft, which will be held Thursday in Kansas City, Mo.
After trading away their fifth-round pick for cornerback Jeff Okudah, the Falcons have six other picks throughout the draft, which continue Friday and Saturday.
They will pick in the second round (44th overall), third round (75), fourth round (110 and 113 from Tennessee as the Julio Jones trade) and seventh round (224 and 225 from Las Vegas in the Bryan Edwards trade.)
The Falcons traded away a fifth-round pick for Edwards and traded away the seventh-round pick from Buffalo to New England to pick up tight end Jonnu Smith.
With three picks inside the top 75, the Falcons will have an opportunity to make impactful changes.
Last season, the Falcons drafted running back Tyler Allgeier in the fifth round and he went on to rush for 1,035 yards on the season and helped the team finished ranked third in rushing in the league.
Here’s a look at some players that the Falcons had in for visits who could be drafted outside of the first round:
Adetomiwa Adebawore, DE, Northwestern: He’s 6-foot-2 and 284 pounds and he visited the Falcons.
He played in the Senior Bowl after a fine career for the Wildcats. He was named third-team All-Big 10 last season. He worked some at tackle at the Senior Bowl.
“I feel comfortable playing defensive line,” Adebawore said. “So, wherever a team needs me I’ll be very comfortable because I’ve done it for four years and another four years in high school. So, I’ve just done it kind of my whole football career.”
Adebawore believes his versatility will help him in the NFL.
“I think it just adds value to my game because you can put me kind of anywhere you want,” Adebawore said. “So, if you need a defensive end for a certain situation, you can put me there. If you need a defensive tackle, you can put me there.”
The Falcons value versatile players.
Jonathan Mingo, WR, Mississippi: He’s 6-2 and 220 pounds and ran the 40-yard dash in 4.46 seconds.
He improve steadily over his career with the Rebels. He went from 12 catches as a freshman to 27, 22 and then 51 as a senior. He finished his career with 112 catches for 1,758 yards and 12 touchdowns.
Mingo is a big, strong receiver who can fight for contested passes.
Trey Palmer, WR, Nebraska: He played his first three seasons at LSU before transferring to Nebraska.
In three seasons with LSU, he caught 41 passes for 458 yards and three touchdowns. Last season with the Cornhuskers, he caught 71 passes for 1,043 yards and nine touchdowns.
Palmer is 6-foot and 180 pounds.
“I really grew up in a room with Justin Jefferson and Jamar Chase, so I really grew up around them,” Palmer said.
He can also return kickoffs.
“I would fit well with any team,” Palmer said. “I just need the ball in my hand and I’ll do what I do.”
Jammie Robinson, S, Florida State: He’s 5-11 and 194 pounds. He played at Lee County High.
Robinson, who visited with the Falcons, played two seasons at South Carolina before transferring. He has seven career interceptions.
He played in the Senior Bowl and had an strong week of practices before the NFL scouts.
“Honestly, just being able to be around the best seniors in the country, just being able to showcase my talents and showcase the best version of myself, that was the main thing,” Robinson said. “Just being around a lot of NFL scouts, NFL coaches, learning their ways of coaching.
Robinson is attractive to NFL teams because he can play cornerback and both safety positions. He’s also has show good hitting and tackling ability.
“I mean, that just comes from how I was raised,” Robinson said. “I’ve got five brothers, single-parent mom. So, when I play football, it’s just try to create joyfulness for my Mom. I had a rough upbringing a little bit, but I feel like that’s just my safe haven, honestly. "
Keaton Mitchell, RB East Carolina: He’s a 5-9, 188 pounder. He rushed 210 times for 1,452 yards and 14 touchdowns last season for the Pirates.
He rushed for 1,132 yards as a sophomore.
Mitchell played at Eagles Landing Christian.
He is the son of defensive back Anthony Mitchell, who played in the NFL from 1999-2005 and won a Super Bowl title with the Ravens in Super Bowl XXXV. The elder Mitchell played at Westlake High and Tuskegee.
AJC’S 2023 POSITION-BY-POSITION DRAFT SERIES
WIDE RECEIVERS – Past few drafts have spoiled NFL teams looking for wide receivers | Top 10 WRs
RUNNING BACKS – Running backs Bijan Robinson, Jahmyr Gibbs may have to wait to hear their names called | Top 10 RBs
TIGHT ENDS – Notre Dame’s Michael Mayer heads a dee TE class | Top 10 TEs
QUARTERBACKS – Bryce Young’s small stature no longer an issue in the NFL | Top 10 QBs
OFFENSIVE LINE – Skoronski’s short arm length being scrutinized for left tackle | Top 5 C,G, &OTs
DEFENSIVE LINE – Is Jalen Carter the real deal or a potential bust? | Top 5 DTs, DEs
LINEBACKERS – Dutchtown’s Will Anderson expected to go in the top 5 of NFL draft | Top LBs
CORNERBACKS – Former Georgia standout Kelee Ringo one of the top cornerbacks in the NFL draft | Top CBs
SAFETIES – Alabama’s Brian Branch, Jordan Battle are top safeties in the NFL draft | Top FS/SS
SPECIAL TEAMS – Michigan’s Jake Moody hopes to kick way to NFL draft | Top STs
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