With the bulk of free agency behind us, the NFL world now turns to the draft, which will take place in exactly one month. The Falcons should be feeling much more confident today than they did a couple of weeks ago now that their two biggest holes are filled. Kirk Cousins provides a massive upgrade under center, and Darnell Mooney, Rondale Moore, and Ray-Ray Mcloud add some much-needed depth to the wide receiver position.
For the rest of the offseason, one would expect the Falcons to put a heavy emphasis on defense. Although, as we’ve learned over the last several seasons, Terry Fontenot prefers a best player available approach to the draft, especially in the early rounds. It’s the reason they’ve taken three skill position players in the top 10 in three straight cycles, and nobody should be caught off guard if they go in a similar direction this time around.
However, if we’re talking positional fits at the top of the draft, it’s difficult to argue that anybody fits better than Dallas Turner out of Alabama, whom Brad Spielberger recently deemed the best NFL Draft fit for the Falcons.
Turner was a slender, wiry-framed underclassman but also a budding star edge defender who continued to draw attention on film last season when scouts were studying Will Anderson Jr. And sure enough, he took his game to new heights in 2023 after adding on some muscle. Turner earned a 90.7 pass-rush grade on true pass sets with a 19.6% pass-rush win rate and 11 sacks — a big number in college. Then came the NFL scouting combine, where Turner stole the show with testing numbers in the 94th percentile or better in the 40-yard dash, 10-yard split, vertical jump and broad jump. Still just 21 years old, Turner profiles as a player who will only get better with NFL seasoning.
The Falcons have been searching for a premier pass rusher for well over a decade. It’s almost laughable how little success they’ve had at such a premium position, both in the draft and free agency. They Falcons might have the worst group of pass rushers in the league off the edge as of right now, and they could have an opportunity to take the best defensive prospect in the draft with the 8th overall pick.
Turner has been highly touted since his high school days as a five-star recruit. He’s been viewed as a potential top-10 pick since he stepped on the field as a freshman, and his NFL Combine is a perfect example as to why. Turner is a genetic freak with superstar upside. It will take some development to get him to that level, but the potential is worth the gamble.
But whether it’s Turner, another pass rush prospect, or even a cornerback, the Falcons can’t go wrong by taking the top defensive player on their big board in the first round. They need to bolster that unit in a major way. It was an improved group last year, but former defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen is now in Jacksonville, and they are lacking depth in the trenches and at the backend. That has to change before the Falcons are viewed as serious contenders, even with Kirk Cousins.
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Photographer: Zach Bolinger/Icon Sportswire
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