The Falcons continued their defensive overhaul on Day 3 of the NFL Draft, selecting safety Billy Bowman Jr. out of Oklahoma with their fourth round pick.

The draft started with the Falcons doubling up on explosive pass rushers. Now, they’ve taken safeties back-to-back in the third and fourth rounds, which is a bit surprising, but Bowman has experience doing a little bit of everything, playing safety, nickel, and in the box. Like Xavier Watts — the Falcons third round selection — Bowman is a ballhawk, recording 11 interceptions since 2022.

Bowman has elite ball skills and ran a 4.42 40-yard dash, but he’s a little undersized and had tackling issues during his time at Oklahoma. While he did a little bit of everything under Brent Venables, Bowman’s role in Atlanta has already been defined. According to Josh Kendall, Jeff Ulbrich wants the fourth-rounder to compete with Clark Phillips and Dee Alford at the nickel position.

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