The Falcons are in an incredible spot to potentially make the playoffs while also sitting in the top 10 of the draft position-wise. They are outside of the current playoff standings, but they control their own destiny the rest of the way. For the first time in a considerable amount of time, the Falcons will be playing meaningful games in December.
That begins with this Sunday’s matchup against the 49ers in what has to be a must-win game for Atlanta. If the Falcons fall to the 49ers, their playoff chances take a considerable dive. Atlanta could make the playoffs and be picking around the middle of the first round, but they could also lose three of their last four and be slotted at a premium pick. Either way, it’s not a bad position to be in.
Jake Gordon has regularly been posting his mock drafts with the Falcons picking around the same position as they are now; here are his scenarios:
Falcons 2022 Mock Draft Monday (7.0)
Round 1, Pick 8 — CB Derek Stingley Jr., LSU
This is an incredible cornerback class, and Stingley may just be the best of the bunch. If you read my draft analysis, it’s no secret I love Sauce Gardner’s fit with the Falcons. However, Stingley’s talent is way too intriguing to pass up on here. This is a simple case of taking the best player available at a huge position of need. A Stingley-Terrell tandem would be a scary sight for any Offensive Coordinator. Stingley is a physical and suffocating man-to-man corner at the line of scrimmage, and he excels at disrupting route timing. He can jam almost any receiver at the line. He also has some of the best ball skills in college football. As talented as he is, he still has a ton of upside. He would be a slam dunk pick at 8th overall.
Falcons 2022 Mock Draft Monday (6.0)
Round 1, Pick 9: CB Andrew Booth Jr., Clemson
How about another lockdown Clemson corner to pair with AJ Terrell? This is an incredibly talented cornerback class, and the Georgia native Booth my be the best one. Andrew Booth has been one of the most impressive defensive players in college football, a rare combination of a sticky man corner with good zone instincts and top tier ball skills. Booth can take away a team’s best receiver, and with AJ Terrell playing like an All Pro — you’re looking at a franchise duo at cornerback. If Isaiah Oliver can come back healthy in 2022 and play the slot as well as he was to start 2021, the Falcons secondary will be looking much better.
Falcons 2022 Mock Draft Monday (5.0)
Round 1, Pick 19: CB Sauce Gardner, Cincinnati
You’d know I was all about Northwestern cornerback Greg Newsome II if you followed me during the last draft cycle. So far, Newsome has been excellent for the Browns, as he’s already one of the best rookies in the entire NFL. Like Newsome, Gardner is a sticky coverage corner with ideal size and athleticism. Over his career (as of October 21st), Gardner has 863 coverage snaps. He has never allowed a touchdown, and he has allowed a 30.4 passer rating. With AJ Terrell looking like an elite corner and Isaiah Oliver hopefully continuing his encouraging play in the slot in 2022, Gardner could create a seriously potent young secondary core for the Falcons, something they haven’t had in a while. Right now, Gardner is challenging Derek Stingley for CB1 on my board.
Falcons 2022 Mock Draft Monday (4.0)
Round 1, Pick 17: EDGE George Karlaftis, Purdue
We went with Jordan Davis out of Athens, Georgia in my Mock Draft 3.0, so today, I’ll be taking the big and freaky athlete George Karlaftis out of Athens…Greece. At 6’4 and 275 pounds, Karlaftis moves like a guy half that size. Not only does he have terrific get-off and strength, but Karlaftis is also technically sound. Considering the need for Atlanta and defensive line coach Gary Emanuel’s connection to Purdue, this pick makes even more sense for the Falcons. With the way Karlaftis eats up double teams, game planning around him and Grady Jarrett should prove difficult for opposing offenses. He draws a lot of comparison to another Purdue product — Ryan Kerrigan.
Falcons 2022 Mock Draft Monday (3.0)
Round 1, Pick 8: IDL Jordan Davis, Georgia
Putting Jordan Davis next to Grady Jarrett would be a scary sight for any defense. Even though he’s 6’7 and 340 pounds, Davis moves like a player half that size. His rare combination of size, strength, and athleticism should appeal to the Falcons, who badly need help on the defensive front. Davis has the potential to play all across the defensive front. His raw gifts and inside-out ability could seriously get him some top-ten consideration.
Falcons 2022 Mock Draft Monday (2.0)
Round 1, Pick 5: CB Kaiir Elam, Florida
Elam is a rare specimen at cornerback; he possesses the size and athleticism that not many guys have. Even at 6’2 and almost 200 pounds, he has excellent technique and can shut down half of the field. Elam would give the Falcons two potential shutdown corners alongside AJ Terrell. Atlanta has long been starving for corners; Elam makes a lot of sense — even with bigger needs left on the board.
Falcons 2022 Mock Draft Monday (1.0)
Round 1, Pick 3: EDGE Kayvon Thibodeaux, Oregon
While I’m not opposed to taking a quarterback in round one, Kayvon Thibodeaux is WAY too talented to pass on if the Falcons can get him. You can probably make that same argument for Evan Neal, Derek Stingley Jr., and Kyle Hamilton. It may be a different story if this was a stronger quarterback class, but Falcons fans have been starved from having a premier EDGE for so long, you can’t pass on Thibodeaux here.
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