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Falcons, fans react to drafting Takkarist McKinley

By Juliakate E Culpepper
April 28, 2017

With the 26th overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft, the Falcons selected pass rusher Takkarist McKinley out of UCLA on Thursday.

McKinley registered 61 total tackles, 10 sacks, three forced fumbles and one fumble recovery in his junior season at UCLA.

ExploreD. Orlando Ledbetter reports on the Falcons trading up from the No. 31 selection to secure McKinley and general manager Thomas Dimitroff’s take on McKinley’s recent shoulder surgery.

The Atlanta Falcons moved to the 26th spot to draft UCLA's Takkarist McKinley. During recruiting visit to Cal, he overslept because he hadn't slept on a bed in months. The 6-foot-2, 250-pound defensive end had 10 sacks his senior season at UCLA. He

After his name was called on Thursday night, McKinley brought a framed photo of his late-grandmother Myrtle Collins who raised him on stage as he met NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. McKinley gave a passionate speech about the promise he made to Collins on her deathbed to become a professional football player and to get out of the rough neighborhood in Richmond, Calif. the two lived in.

McKinley ended up yelling an expletive during an interview with former Atlanta Falcon Deion Sanders. After using an expletive on live television, McKinley said, "Fine me later, man."
Here's what the internet and Falcons fans had to say about the drafting of McKinley:

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Juliakate E Culpepper
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