While a lot has been made of what the Falcons will do with the 4th overall pick, the second round selection at 35 is quickly becoming far more interesting. I’ve been an advocate of trading back, mainly because of the wealth of talent that will be available at the top of the second round. While Terry Fontenot has committed to drafting the best player available, need is still an issue, given there have been no impact signings this offseason. The Falcons signed a few cheap depth guys in free agency, but plenty of potential plug and play starters will be there in round two. Some of these guys will be picked in round one, but with as many names on this list as there are, a ton of talent will be available for Terry Fontenot.
Running Back
RB Javonte Williams, North Carolina
RB Travis Etienne, Clemson
I still believe in Ito Smith’s ability to lead this group, but it never hurts to add another back. Just as a prediction, I believe that Najee Harris will be the lone running back selected in the first round. Javonte Williams is actually my favorite back in this class, and he’s a dream fit for Arthur Smith. He’s exceptional as a pass blocker and rips off “angry” chunk runs on outside and inside concepts. Travis Etienne is a home run hitter, but I have some concerns with his vision. Other than that, he’d add a lot of juice to this Falcons backfield.
Offensive Line
IOL Quinn Meinerz, Wisconsin-Whitewater
IOL Creed Humphrey, Oklahoma
IOL Wyatt Davis, Ohio State
IOL Trey Smith, Tennessee
IOL Landon Dickerson, Alabama
OT Brady Christensen, BYU
I’m going to give these guys a whole article soon because I wholeheartedly believe the Falcons will select one of the names on this list. Meinerz, Humphrey, Dickerson, and Christensen all tested off of the charts athletically, while Humphrey and Davis are plug and play starters at left guard.
Front Seven
IDL Levi Onwuzurike, Washington
IDL Daviyon Nixon, Iowa
IDL Christian Barmore, Alabama
IDL/EDGE Milton Williams, Louisiana Tech
IDL/EDGE Carlos Basham, Wake Forest
EDGE Joe Tryon, Washington
EDGE Joseph Ossai, Texas
LB Zaven Collins, Tulsa
LB Baron Browning, Ohio State
LB Jabril Cox, LSU
If the Falcons don’t select one of the offensive linemen above, I could easily see them targeting anybody on this list. Daviyon Nixon and Levi Onwuzurike have sky high potential; Christian Barmore is probably the most ready; and Carlos Basham can play inside-out — making him a fantastic scheme fit for Dean Pees.
If you don’t know the name Milton Williams — learn it. While it is impossible for him to have the same type of impact, his athletic and physical measurables almost match up to Aaron Donald.
Joe Tryon and Joseph Ossai are both great scheme fits in a 3-4, and Zaven Collins is easily the most versatile defender on this list. I think he makes it into the first round. Baron Browning blew up his pro day, and he’s a good fit as a SAM or MIKE, and Jabril Cox is one of the two or three best coverage linebackers in this class. He would immediately bolster a position of strength for the Falcons. It would be difficult to pass over the middle on Deion Jones, Mykal Walker, and Jabril Cox with Foyesade Oluokon at the SAM.
Secondary
CB Greg Newsome II, Northwestern
CB Eric Stokes, Georgia
CB Caleb Farley, Virginia Tech
CB Kelvin Joseph, Kentucky
CB Asante Samuel Jr. Florida State
CB Aaron Robinson, UCF
S Trevon Moehrig, TCU
S Jevon Holland, Oregon
S Richie Grant, UCF
S Jamar Johnson, Indiana
Anyone who has ever read any of my articles knows I’m the president of the Greg Newsome II fan club, and you can read my full breakdown on him here. I think he’s the best corner in the class, and in the wake of Caleb Farley’s injury that may drop him to the second round, Newsome could be the second or third corner off the board. Eric Stokes could go in the first; I love his ball skills. Kelvin Joseph has a pretty small sample size, but he has terrific measurables and instincts.
A safety hasn’t gone in round one in a while, so Trevon Moehrig could be there for the Falcons, and he’s a fantastic ballhawk. Jevon Holland and Richie Grant’s versatility as a box and high safety along with nickel corner capability should appeal to Dean Pees. Grant had some chops on the boundary at the Senior Bowl, and he’s my S1 in this class. I do want to talk about Jamar Johnson in depth. He is a dream hybrid safety; he hits like a freight train in the box and has very impressive ball skills. Johnson doesn’t have the same nickel capability (yet) as some of these other prospects, but physically, athletically, and instinctively, he’s one of my favorite sleepers in the whole class.
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