A couple of months out from the NFL Draft, your best guess is as good as mine as to who the Falcons draft with their first-round pick.
It’s hard enough to mock the 15th pick the night before, let alone two months. But one thing most expect is that Terry Fontenot will do something he’s never done as Atlanta’s GM — draft a defensive player in the first round.
I could make an argument for the Falcons to draft a cornerback, safety, linebacker, or defensive tackle, but most fans want an edge rusher, preferably one that can make an impact from Day 1.
Regardless, it has to be a defender, right? Wrong, Falcons beat writer Josh Kendall brought up on The Morning Shift the possibility of the Falcons drafting an offensive player.
“I wouldn’t say it’s out of the realm of possibility,” host Mike Johnson began. “But would you join me in saying that most Falcons fans might lose their mind if we take another offensive player in the first round?”
“Yeah, I think that they would,” Kendall answered. “But I think that what [Falcons fans] should do at that moment when they want to throw something through the TV is look to the Eagles and look to the way they built through the trenches and to say, ‘OK, any pick spent on an elite lineman should be considered a good pick.’
“I get it as much as anybody from a Falcons fan’s perspective of we need X, Y and Z. But I also can see how this team maybe has gotten itself into some trouble by thinking it’s one player away. If we just get that, that’ll be it. It was quarterback. It was the elite running back. It was Bijan Robinson to unlock the office. It was the generational talent at tight end. The Falcons have felt like we just need this piece for a while now, and that strategy has not been super successful.
“I think if there’s an offensive lineman, and there are some tackles in this first round, if there’s a guy you love and he’s there at 15, I don’t think that’s a wasted pick at all.”
As of right now, the Falcons have a chance to re-sign Drew Dalman, who is set to test free agency this offseason. If the team brings back the center, it will give offensive line coach Dwayne Ledford the same starting five offensive linemen for the third consecutive season, which is incredibly rare.
If the Falcons drafted an offensive lineman, it would presumably be an interior lineman who can play center or a right tackle that is better suited to protect Michael Penix’s blindside long-term. There’s a handful of first-round prospects that could make sense, as Dane Brugler pointed out in his top 100 prospects.
Will Campbell is considered the top OL prospect but is a left tackle. As a three-year starter at LSU, asking Campbell to switch sides of the line could be on the table, but I’m not sure I’m qualified to tell if he could or couldn’t.
Armand Membou out of Missouri is Brugler’s 8th overall prospect and did play right tackle in college at Missouri. He could be a potential target if the Falcons see the opportunity to upgrade over McGary.
Josh Simmons, out of Ohio State, was considered neck-and-neck with Campbell as the top tackle, but a non-contact knee injury ended his year. His draft projection is still in limbo, though he played left tackle for the Buckeyes, which would require he to switch sides to protect Penix’s blindside.
Could the Falcons perhaps be interested in turning Alabama’s All-American guard Tyler Booker into a center? Again, I’m not qualified to say one way or another.
If the Falcons do draft an offensive lineman with their first-round pick, it will require some maneuvering. Whether it’s changing positions and/or getting rid of Kaleb McGary, it wouldn’t be a simple acquisition.
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