Even after a productive free agency, the Falcons have a lot of holes to fill, especially on defense. I’m usually in favor of trading down, but today we’ll be trading up. I’ll be doing one more trade down scenario and a final chalk mock draft with official predictions. Previous editions are listed below if you think I missed out on a player:
- Falcons: Offseason 2023 Mock Draft 1.0 (5 Rounds)
- Falcons: Offseason 2023 Mock Draft 2.0 — Post Senior Bowl (5 Rounds)
- Falcons: Offseason 2023 Mock Draft 3.0 — Post Combine (5 Rounds)
- Falcons: Offseason 2023 Mock Draft 4.0 — Post Tampering Period (5 Rounds)
- Falcons: Offseason 2023 Mock Draft 5.0 — Trade Down Scenario (5 Rounds)
TheDraftNetwork’s Mock Draft Machine is finally up and running, so I’ll be using that to make these picks. I’ll also be using Relative Athletic Score, which you can find the details for here.
Falcons Trade: Pick 8, Pick 75, Pick 113, 2024 2nd Round Pick
Cardinals Trade: Pick 3
It’s possible this could be a little more expensive than I’m predicting, but after the first two quarterbacks are off the board, the third pick may lose some value. The Cardinals have a ton of holes, and while some may think the Falcons are moving up for a quarterback — I have a different prospect in mind.
Round 1, Pick 3 (From Arizona): EDGE Will Anderson — Alabama
I think the Falcons made enough moves in free agency to warrant a move like this, but one of the few positions they didn’t address properly was EDGE. To be fair to them, this wasn’t a great class. Lorenzo Carter is back and they have some promising young pieces, but how about a superstar? Will Anderson is one of the cleanest prospects at the position in a while, and on top of that, he still has room to grow. He’s a violent run defender and was the best pass rusher in college football over the past two seasons. He’s a high-level athlete that should be scheme versatile. The Falcons have been missing this type of generational pass rusher for a decade, and Anderson has the profile of a guy who’s going to be wearing a gold jacket in Canton one day.
RAS: N/A
Round 2, Pick 44: CB Julius Brents — Kansas State
I wanted to go back to Emmanuel Forbes here, but let’s mix things up. Brents is a prospect that most fans may not be familiar with, but he’s a guy to know going into the draft. Brents tested out of his mind in Indianapolis, and he has the frame and length NFL teams covet at the cornerback position. He’s a very willing defender against the run, and he should be able to play all over a defense. He’ll have the support system in the secondary and the guys up front to blossom into a high-quality CB2 next to AJ Terrell.
RAS: 9.98
Round 4, Pick 110 (From Tennessee): LB DeMarvion Overshown — Texas
Another position the Falcons still need some help with, I really like Overshown as a buy-low candidate here. In my trade down scenario, I had the Falcons taking Jack Campbell out of Iowa, but Overshown has some similarities to Campbell. He has good speed even though he stands at 6’3 and 230 pounds. Originally recruited as a safety, Overshown will need to add some functional strength, but he’s a willing tackler with great athleticism. At worst, he can cut his teeth on special teams while he develops.
RAS: 8.12
Round 5, Pick 159 (From Jacksonville): IOL Jarrett Patterson — Notre Dame
One of the last few holes the Falcons weren’t aggressive with in free agency, I like Patterson’s potential to be a plug-and-play starter if he can beat out Jalen Mayfield at left guard. The fifth-year senior was a key piece of Notre Dame’s offensive line for many years, and like a lot of their offensive line prospects, he’s very technically sound and a vocal leader of their offense. Patterson’s a mauler who can clear space up front, but he isn’t the fleetest of foot, which may present some scheme issues. I like the value here of a potential starter, and at worst, a swing guard in round five.
RAS: 7.25
Photographer: Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire
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