King Jigsaw

Draft 1. ARI - Kyler Murray, QB, Oklahoma 2. SF - Nick Bosa, DE/OLB, Ohio State 3. NYJ - Ed Oliver, DT, Houston 4. OAK - Quinnen Williams, DT, Alabama 5. TB - Josh Allen, OLB, Kentucky 6. NYG - Devin White, LB, LSU 7. JAX - Jawaan Taylor, OT, Florida 8. DET - Brian Burns, DE/OLB, Florida State 9. BUF - Jonah Williams, OT, Alabama 10. DEN - TJ Hockenson, TE, Iowa 11. CIN - Devin Bush, LB, Michigan 12. GB - Rashan Gary, DE/DT, Michigan 13. MIA - Christian Wilkins, DT, Clemson **Just like in my original draft, the Giants passed on a QB at 6 and call the Falcons to leap over the Redskins to get the same player they likely considered at pick 6 for a long while.** Giants Receive: -Round 1, Pick 14 Falcons Receive: -Round 1, Pick 17 -Round 3, Pick 95 -2020 5th Round Pick 14. NYG - Dwayne Haskins, QB, Ohio State 15. WAS - Daniel Jones, QB, Duke 16. CAR - Montez Sweat, DE, Mississippi State Round 1, Pick 17 - Cody Ford, OT/OG, Oklahoma Height: 6’3” Weight: 329 lbs. Though it might be discouraging to see another talented edge rusher being added to the division right ahead of where you pick, this is the reason why this pick is being made. At this point we’ve added a slew of Guards but still have a need at Right Tackle in the wake of releasing Ryan Schraeder. Enter: Cody Ford. Ford has been an absolute monster at Tackle while protecting both Baker Mayfield and Kyler Murray and can play every spot on the line besides Center, making him an invaluable addition to an offensive line tasked with keeping Matt Ryan upright. Other Options: Clelin Ferrell, Byron Murphy, Andre Dillard Falcons Receive: -Round 2, Pick 41 Broncos Receive: -Round 2, Pick 45 -Round 4, Pick 135 Round 2, Pick 41 - Dexter Lawrence, DT, Clemson Height: 6’4” Weight: 342 lbs. It’s amazing how far a player can fall down draft boards, but a failed drug test can do that to you. While I don’t think it’s fair or even likely that Lawrence will fall to the second round, I’ve seen him falling to Day 2 and wanted to include that tidbit in this mock. Lawrence missed the last two games of his college career after testing positive for osterine, but during combine interviews he steadily claimed innocence on the matter. Nevertheless, the same player I took in the first round of my last mock is now the target of my trade up in the 2nd as the Falcons send their 4th round compensatory selection to the Broncos to leap over teams like Green Bay, Cincinnati, and Buffalo who could all look to add some size to their d-line in the form of DLaw. Other Options: DeAndre Baker, Julian Love Round 3, Pick 79 - Vosean Joseph, LB, Florida Height: 6’1” Weight: 230 lbs. The Falcons have had some recent experiments at the LB position with players like Duke Riley and Foye Oluokun fighting to define their roles among the starting ranks. Joseph is an athletic but inconsistent player that would have benefited from returning to college for another year. While his tape is ugly at times, Atlanta is a team that could afford to ‘redshirt’ him with mostly special teams duties as he continues to add weight and becomes the backup behind either Campbell or Jones. I think having Ishmael back would really help Joseph, giving him a highly-competitive and versatile role model to learn from. Round 3, Pick 95 - Isaiah Johnson, CB, Houston Height: 6’2” Weight: 203 lbs. Johnson I think is one of those picks that you don’t appreciate at first, but that will make you proud of your front office after a couple of years. A track athlete and three-star recruit at the WR position coming out of high school, Johnson switched to Corner after two years in college. While he’s still got some technique issues that need to be worked on, Johnson has the speed, arm length, and ball skills to become a top press corner in the league if given the proper coaching and time to develop. The trio of Trufant, Oliver, and Kazee will likely take the majority of snaps for the Falcons in 2019 but there’s always room for Johnson to take away some snaps with assignments against bigger receivers who he matches up well with. Round 4, Pick 117 - Jarrett Stidham, QB, Auburn Height: 6’2” Weight: 218 lbs. Stidham has recently caught a bad rep for the offense that Auburn trotted out in 2018 which was substantially worse than the 2017 version where Stidham shined. Put the Alabama tape on and you will see a mechanically-sound, efficiently mobile, smart QB capable of making quick decisions and accurate throws on every level. Stidham’s biggest knock is that he tends to melt when defensive pressure gets home (sound familiar?) but he has all the tools with the proper arm strength, accuracy, footwork, and anticipation to become the starter of the Falcons after Matt Ryan’s career comes to an end. Falcons Receive: -Round 4, Pick 121 Titans Receive: -Round 5, Pick 152 -Round 5, Pick 172 Round 4, Pick 121 - Bryce Love, RB, Stanford Height: 5’9” Weight: 200 lbs. Welcome to Atlanta, Dion Lewis! Well, basically. Love is an explosive runner who has the top end speed and elite burst that caused the Falcons to deploy Tevin Coleman heavily. While marred with nagging injuries and a lackluster blocking group, Love still displayed grit and competitiveness while constantly putting his team before himself. While the majority of the touches will still go to Freeman and while Ito Smith has certainly earned his reps after an impressive rookie campaign, there are plenty of opportunities for Love to get work in as a receiver on screens and check downs in Koetter’s return to GA. Round 6, Pick 186 - Mitch Hyatt, OT, Clemson Height: 6’5” Weight: 303 lbs. Hyatt’s NFL comparison is listed as Ty Sambrailo, making Atlanta a nice fit for the developmental tackle. Credited with being an extremely hard worker, smart, and dedicated, Hyatt was the leader of the offensive line at Clemson and drove the entire group to dedicate themselves for the self-improvement through practice and weight room. Hyatt still has plenty of strength to add to his frame and could either move inside to guard or find utility as a swing tackle reserve on game days. For now he will compete with Matt Gono for the 4th OT spot behind Matthews, Ford, and Sambrailo. Round 7, Pick 230 - Preston Williams, WR, Colorado State Height: 6’4” Weight: 211 lbs. Williams was not allowed to participate at the combine outside of the interviews due to a 2017 harassment-related charge, and also did not put up outstanding numbers at his Pro Day. Despite lackluster testing numbers in things like the broad jump, Williams has shown off his impressive hands and continues to stand on his collegiate success. At the end of the day, Williams is a redzone threat who has a lot to prove to his coaches and teammates that he is a high-character guy who can be a reliable asset to the offense that chooses to deploy his talents. Depth Chart - Slightly More Official Offense (27) QB: Matt Ryan, Matt Schaub, Jarrett Stidham, Kurt Benkert RB: Devonta Freeman, Ito Smith, Bryce Love, Kenjon Barner FB: Ricky Ortiz WR: Julio Jones, Calvin Ridley, Russell Gage WR: Mohamed Sanu, Justin Hardy, Preston Williams TE: Austin Hooper, Eric Saubert, Luke Stocker, Logan Paulsen LT: Jake Matthews, Ty Sambrailo LG: James Carpenter, Sean Harlow C: Alex Mack, Wes Schweitzer RG: Jamon Brown, Brandon Fusco RT: Cody Ford, Matt Gono, Mitch Hyatt Defense (23) DE: Vic Beasley, Steven Means DT: Grady Jarrett, Tyeler Davison, Ra’Shede Hageman DT: Dexter Lawrence, Deadrin Senat, Jack Crawford DE: Takk McKinley, Adrian Clayborn SLB: De’Vondre Campbell, Vosean Joseph MLB: Deion Jones, Kemal Ishmael WLB: Foye Oluokun, Duke Ruley CB: Desmond Trufant, Isaiah Johnson, Ryan Neal FS: Ricardo Allen, Demontae Kazee, Sharrod Neasman SS: Keanu Neal, J.J. Wilcox CB: Isaiah Oliver, Blidi Wreh-Wilson, Taveze Calhoun Special Teams (3) K: Giorgia Tavecchio P: Matt Bosher LS: Josh Harris

As none of you have noticed, I've not been around these boards for quite some time. The most honest answer for this is because I hate all of you. Okay, not you @Vandy. Falcons fans have a toxic mentality about them that makes football slightly less enjoyable and I just couldn't bring myself to be here during the past several months. However we can't let salty feelings get in the way of tradition, right? Every year I put out a mock or two and then you all get to tell me how much you hate it. It's fun, right? The cool thing about being gone for so long is that I haven't looked at any of the other mock drafts posted here this year. I could be giving you guys the same exact mock that Joe Smith posted two days ago or something brand new, and wouldn't know the difference. As always I just hope you enjoy the reading, the presentation, and that maybe a couple of decent discussions about future Falcons can be sprouted from this post. With that said, let's jump right into the draft. The Cardinals are on the clock.. Draft 1. ARI - Kyler Murray, QB, Oklahoma 2. SF - Quinnen Williams, DT, Alabama 3. NYJ - Nick Bosa, DE/OLB, Ohio State 4. OAK - Dwayne Haskins, QB, Ohio State 5. TB - Josh Allen, OLB, Kentucky 6. NYG - Rashan Gary, DE, Michigan 7. JAX - Jawaan Taylor, OT, Florida 8. DET - Devin White, LB, LSU 9. BUF - Ed Oliver, DT, Houston 10. DEN - Drew Lock, QB, Missouri 11. CIN - Devin Bush, LB, Michigan 12. GB - Jonah Williams, OT, Alabama 13. MIA - Christian Wilkins, DT, Clemson With Wilkins and Oliver off the board but talents like Clelin Ferrell, Montez Sweat, DeAnde Baker, and Cody Ford all still available - what’s the best thing to do? Trade down. The Giants passed on a QB at 6, and call the Falcons to leap over the Redskins. Giants Receive: -Round 1, Pick 14 Falcons Receive: -Round 1, Pick 17 -Round 3, Pick 95 -2020 5th Round Pick 14. NYG - Daniel Jones, QB, Duke 15. WAS - DK Metcalf, WR, Ole Miss 16. CAR - Montez Sweat, DE/OLB, Mississippi State Round 1, Pick 17 - Dexter Lawrence, DT, Clemson Height: 6’5” Weight: 340 lbs. You can look back at any draft from any year and find players that make you go "Wish we took him when we had the chance." Lawrence is one of those players that should be drafted higher than where he will be and three years from now everyone will curse their teams for not taking him instead of the underachieving schmuck they did select. All of those little reasons that people give for not wanting a player are forgotten once the NFL production comes, after all. Lawrence is a monstrous run-stuffer who is also pretty athletic - all things considered. His pass rushing skills are not to me underestimated and that means he could be a legitimate three down player constantly demanding double teams. The things he will open up for the players on either side of him (Grady, Takk, Vic, etc.) will save someone’s job. Round 2, Pick 45 - Jamel Dean, CB, Auburn Height: 6’2” Weight: 208 lbs. The release of Robert Alford leaves the Falcons, once again, with a need at CB. While I think the trio of Trufant, Oliver, and Kazee is more than capable, we are one injury away from a disastrous situation where BWW goes from talented reserve to exposed starter. Jamel Dean has the size, speed (4.3 40), and athleticism (41” vert) to be a capable starter in the NFL. He also has long arms and closes fast on the ball, making him a nightmare in tight windows. I think the Falcons will want Kazee on the field as much as possible in 2019 which gives Dean a chance to learn and develop without too much pressure. Round 3, Pick 79 - Connor McGovern, C/OG, Penn State Height: 6’5” Weight: 308 lbs. McGovern would be an extremely useful member of the gameday roster as he has starting experience at both guard and center, and can play all three interior slots on the line. Already possessing an NFL-ready frame with plenty of strength to go with it, McGovern’s run-blocking is ahead of his pass-pro at this stage. Getting to sit behind Alex Mack and improve his pass-blocking skills from one of the absolute best would really help get the former Nittany Lion’s NFL career off to a positive start. McGovern could take over as the starting Center and hold that position for the rest of Matt Ryan’s tenure as the starter in Atlanta. Round 3, Pick 95 - Mitch Hyatt, OT, Clemson Height: 6’5” Weight: 305 lbs. I will admit that Hyatt isn’t my favorite tackle prospect but the more I look into him, the more I like him. A four year starter who was credited with being the leader and culture-setter of the offensive line there, Hyatt brings the right attitude every day of the week. Though his future may be primarily at guard, Hyatt has the traits and abilities to be a true swing tackle that we so desperately need now that we have moved on from Ryan Schraeder and (presumably) named Sambrailo the starter. Speaking of, NFL.com’s comparison for Hyatt? Ty Sambrailo. Sounds like a fit to me! Round 4, Pick 117 - Justin Hollins, LB, Oregon Height: 6’5” Weight: 248 lbs. Hollins is a bit of a project that a team is going to have to take on in order to truly unlock his potential, but he has a lot of tools to become an effective piece of an NFL defense. His length is something he already uses really well both when shedding blocks and disrupting passing lanes. Active and smart in the run game and with plenty of room to add bulk to his frame, Hollins is one of those players that will be good as a rookie but potentially great by year 3. His passrushing skills off the edge will also be something that Dan Quinn will love and will find snaps for early on as he learns the nuances of the pro game. Round 4, Pick 137 - Gerald Willis, DT, Miami Height: 6’2” Weight: 302 lbs. Willis suffered through an up-and-down college career that eventually lead him to All-American and All-ACC honors as a senior at Miami. 18 TFLs last year proves how disruptive he can be as a gap-penetrator, though there are certainly improvements to be made in his game. Despite his ineffectiveness against double-teams, impressive quickness and an arsenal of inside rushing moves makes him a nightmare on the inside for interior blockers left on an island. Round 5, Pick 152 - Beau Benzschawel, OG, Wisconsin Height: 6’6” Weight: 309 lbs. A tackle build with only guard strength knocks this talented blocker down to day 3, but this would still be an excellent pick for Atlanta. Beau was named a first team AP All-American last year at Right Guard for the Badgers after starting his football career as a defensive end and tight end. Still playing with the same bend and excellent technique, Benz will need to add upper body strength to stand up to the powerful DTs of the league. Right now he can be viewed as a pass-blocking specialist who can develop behind new starters Carpenter and Brown. Round 5, Pick 172 - Charles Omenihu, DE, Texas Height: 6’5” Weight: 280 lbs. Omenihu, in my opinion, is one of the more underrated prospects in this edge class. There are certainly guys with more polish that will be taken far ahead but I like the base end size that Omenihu offers along with the raw moldable traits that someone like Quinn could potentially get the most out of. Omenihu isn’t a 10-sack per season kind of talent (not many of those around this late) but still has a lot to offer in bigger packages and as a developmental rusher. Round 6, Pick 186 - Elijah Holyfield, RB, Georgia Height: 5’10” Weight: 220 lbs. As much as it kills me to draft a UGA player (will never be a Bulldog fan, as most of you know) there is no denying the talent level Elijah provides at this juncture of the draft. Where RBs will get drafted and in what order is one of the biggest crapshoots of predicting the draft but I’ve seen his name slipping down boards since his poor showing at the combine. Holyfield is a violent runner who will serve as a battle-tested backup capable of handling a large workload when asked just as he did in college, and also getting a lot of short-yardage and goal line looks. Round 7, Pick 230 - Preston Williams, WR, Colorado State Height: 6’4” Weight: 211 lbs. Preston Williams is a big, talented receiver who started his college career in the SEC (even if it was Tennessee, it still basically counts) before transferring to Colorado State. Williams was not invited to the combine after an assault charge came up, which is keeping him low on the draft boards despite his production at CSU - 14 touchdowns last season in addition to 1300+ yards on just under 100 catches. The Falcons will look to Dirk Koetter to fix the red zone woes that have plagued us in recent years and bringing in another big-bodied target like Williams at such a low draft cost makes sense towards fixing that endeavor. Pseudo Depth Chart - Barely Unofficial Offense (27) QB: Matt Ryan, Matt Schaub, Kurt Benkert RB: Devonta Freeman, Ito Smith, Elijah Holyfield, Kenjon Barner FB: Ricky Ortiz WR: Julio Jones, Calvin Ridley, Preston Williams, Russell Gage WR: Mohamed Sanu, Justin Hardy, Devin Gray TE: Austin Hooper, Eric Saubert, Luke Stocker, Logan Paulsen LT: Jake Matthews, Mitch Hyatt LG: James Carpenter, Beau Benschawel C: Alex Mack, Connor McGovern RG: Jamon Brown RT: Ty Sambrailo Defense (23) DE: Vic Beasley, Steven Means DT: Grady Jarrett, Gerald Willis DT: Dexter Lawrence, Deadrin Senat DE: Takk McKinley, Charles Omenihu SLB: De’Vondre Campbell, Justin Hollins MLB: Deion Jones, Foye Oluokun WLB: Duke Riley CB: Desmond Trufant, Jamel Dean, Ryan Neal FS: Ricardo Allen, Demontae Kazee SS: Keanu Neal, Sharrod Neasman CB: Isaiah Oliver, Blidi Wreh-Wilson, Taveze Calhoun Special Teams (3) K: Giorgia Tavecchio P: Matt Bosher LS: Josh Harris Closing Thoughts: This team has to let the draft come to it and take advantage of the opportunities as they come. All the rumors about trading up for Ed Oliver do not excite me at all. If he’s there at 14, great, if not I think it wise to go in the other direction in a similar mold to what I’ve presented above. Looking over the fake post-draft depth chart I see that we have a lot of holes that need to be filled going into this draft. The offensive line is going to see a lot of new faces this year, and I hope they’re ready to compete. Another thing I’ve noticed is that we seem to be paper thin on defense and one draft won’t fix that. This caused a lot of issues last year but perhaps the injury bug won’t bite us again because we can’t make it with so many playmakers down.

OPs favorite phrase is “brief and unproductive.”

Oh, the irony.

We weren’t playing for a spot anyway, so okay.

No one is butthurt and you don’t sound cool because you use internet buzzwords. No matter the results of each team’s season (which is irrelevant entirely), this is still the Falcons message board and threads like this have a more proper home that isn’t TATF.

This **** needs to get moved. Just being honest. Go celebrate on the Atlanta United forum. It was created for a reason.

You value Oliver over Aaron Donald?