The King Has Mocked - And Nothing Else

[King Jigsaw]

¡Hola, Falcon Fans!

It's your favorite internet monarch here, bringing you another mock draft that will never actually happen in real life. Free Agency has bored the crap out of me as a Falcons fan and I'm not even going to include a roster at the end like I usually do, as this is only going to be a mock draft only. As always, I hope you enjoy reading, don't take things too seriously, and I look forward to all questions, comments, and concerns.

 

• Round 1, Pick 26 - Taven Bryan, DT, Florida
• Height: 6’4” Weight: 295 lbs.
  • This is one of those picks that you get tired of seeing because it is consistently included in a lot of mock drafts. Last year the popular pick was Bryan’s teammate at the same position, Caleb Brantley. This pick is a bit of a no-brainer if the Falcons do go with a defensive tackle at pick 26. Taven Bryan is an extremely disruptive force at the position and would be an excellent player behind (or beside, in obvious passing situations) Grady Jarrett. With our defensive line being so thin and with the signing of Fusco, this pick is almost guaranteed to be a defensive lineman.

 

• Round 2, Pick 58 - Equanimeous St. Brown, WR, Notre Dame
• Height: 6'5” Weight: 210 lbs.
  • The Falcons have a very talented 1-2 punch at Wide Receiver, but limited options past that. Justin Hardy is reliable, but unspectacular. Nick Williams is average, but a familiar commodity for the Front Office. St. Brown is a rare blend of speed and size, standing at 6'5" and running a 4.48 at the combine. Had it been for better QB play at Notre Dame, he'd likely be talked about as a fringe first rounder. The Falcons have had success moving Julio into the slot to abuse nickle corners, and 11, 12, and ESB all on the field at the same time would be extremely hard to defend.

 

• Round 3, Pick 90 - Kalen Ballage, RB, Arizona State
• Height: 6’1” Weight: 227 lbs.
  • It pains me to say that I've come to the realization that Freeman and Coleman won't be running mates forever. I'm probably in the minority that prefers Coleman over Freeman, but the FO made it clear that they view Freeman as one of the league's elite runners when they signed him to a massive deal. Atlanta knows that tough decisions will have to be made regarding what players we can afford to keep and which will leave at the expense of others. Tevin Coleman will be a hot name as the NFL Trade Deadline approaches later this year, and it would be wise for Atlanta to not only get something in return for a departing Coleman, but to also have his replacement on roster already. Enter Ballage, a known favorite of many that will be reading this mock. Ballage is thick-bodied, fast (4.4 fast), with excellent hands and experience returning kicks.

 

• Round 4, Pick 122 - BJ Hill, DT, NC State
• Height: 6'4” Weight: 315 lbs.
  • No one should be surprised if we draft multiple players on the d-line this year, as Grady Jarrett is the only real DT on roster. Crawford is a tweener who offers flexibility, but also hasn't seen much of the field due to injury. It would be unwise to rely on either of him or Ben Garland, who is more of an offensive lineman anyway. BJ Hill is plenty athletic enough for a man his size, having played RB in high school, but will need to continue adding strength to hold up to the more physical NFL blockers. I like the thought of resigning someone like Ahtya Rubin for a year and splitting the snaps between he and Hill. Next year we can add another big-bodied DT and let him and Hill hold down the position for the next few years.

 

• Round 5, Pick 154 - Traded to DEN for OT Ty Sambrailo.

 

• Round 6, Pick 186 - Riley Ferguson, QB, Memphis
• Height: 6’4” Weight: 210 lbs.
  • Ferguson is an interesting fit for our offense. People who cast him as a running QB will be disappointed when he doesn't put up Tyrod-like rushing numbers, but he is athletic enough and accurate enough to execute the rolling throws on bootlegs and play action plays. Will need to be coached up on a few things like pocket poise and pressure awareness, but the addition of Greg Knapp will pay dividends for a young QB like Ferg. We say it all the time that our season will hinge on the health of Matt Ryan, and getting Schaub off the payroll is necessary, so here's a cheap replacement.

 

• Round 7, Pick 218 - Nick Bawden, FB, San Diego State
• Height: 6’1” Weight: 244 lbs.
  • Did anyone else miss Patrick DiMarco this past year? I know I certainly did and here’s a step back in that direction. SDSU produces some of the best running backs, and has been dubbed "RBU". Taking a FB from such a productive rushing offense makes a lot of sense, as it's the closest thing to proven production seeing that we didn't sign someone like Keith Smith in Free Agency. Bawden is ready to be a lead blocker at the next level, and having displayed some receiving ability in college he will make for a very useful addition to the roster to help our offense get back to the productive levels we know it can attain.

 

• Priority UDFA -  Jarrett Johnson, DE, Texas A&M
• Height: 6'3" Weight: 265 lbs.
  • It's hard to get noticed when you're stuck behind studs like Daeshon Hall and Myles Garrett, but Johnson was impressive in his short time as a starter. He's a fast edge rusher that will need to get stronger to hold up in the NFL. As a designated pass rusher, however, he can be really effective early on. While Beasley and Takk will take up most of the snaps on the edge, Brooks Reed and Jarrett Johnson will still see the field and having a number of guys who can pressure the QB will never go out of style.

 

One Quick Note:

• I know the big position going unaddressed is TE, but I really don't think that we are interested in spending real capitol adding another. Hooper is still TE1 and should continue to improve. Saubert was just taken last year as a receiving threat who will see an increased number of snaps. I could see the Falcons adding a blocking TE as an UDFA (someone like Ethan Wolf wouldn't be a bad addition) and then addressing the position next year when we don't have so much work to do at other prime positions.

[putnam6]

H e l l I like it and like the areas it addresses top to bottom. Like the DT double dip,Ballage, Hill and Ferguson just need to watch/read more on St.Brown. 

[King Jigsaw]

1 minute ago, putnam6 said:

H e l l I like it and like the areas it addresses top to bottom. Like the DT double dip,Ballage, Hill and Ferguson just need to watch/read more on St.Brown. 

My favorite thing about draft season is knowing that for every player I look into, there are five more that someone else will point me in the direction of. It's the best time of the year for us 'mocker fockers'!

Thanks for reading, my friend.

[Knight of God]

I love it! Never looked at St. Brown, but I'm headed that way now. AWESOME freaking draft!

[putnam6]

3 minutes ago, King Jigsaw said:

My favorite thing about draft season is knowing that for every player I look into, there are five more that someone else will point me in the direction of. It's the best time of the year for us 'mocker fockers'!

Thanks for reading, my friend.

Yep and think you are on target about Bawden too, I'm high on Penny and thats where Bawden did alot of the dirty work springing him. 

[k-train]

I'd be doing backflips if we got a haul like this!

Every single one of these guys (except for the guy you have us getting w/ the very last pick in the draft) is on my 'Players to keep an eye on at the combine & pro days' thread.

I do think we'd probably need to take both Ballage & Hill a round earlier than you have them going... and even then it may not be high enough for either of those guys.

[King Jigsaw]

3 minutes ago, Knight of God said:

I love it! Never looked at St. Brown, but I'm headed that way now. AWESOME freaking draft!

I don't know how a 6'5" receiver with sub-4.5 speed goes so under the radar, but he's managed to do so somehow. I hope it was just bad QB play and that I'm not missing some huge flaw. He's definitely worth a look though.

And as always, thanks for the props. You know they mean a lot coming from you, brother.

[Knight of God]

Just now, King Jigsaw said:

I don't know how a 6'5" receiver with sub-4.5 speed goes so under the radar, but he's managed to do so somehow. I hope it was just bad QB play and that I'm not missing some huge flaw. He's definitely worth a look though.

And as always, thanks for the props. You know they mean a lot coming from you, brother.

I'm just a knight bro. You're the king in these parts.

[King Jigsaw]

1 minute ago, k-train said:

I'd be doing backflips if we got a haul like this!

Every single one of these guys (except for the guy you have us getting w/ the very last pick in the draft) is on my 'Players to keep an eye on at the combine & pro days' thread.

Just checked out that thread, amazed I hadn't seen it before. Good work on that one and thanks for reading.

[k-train]

1 minute ago, King Jigsaw said:

I don't know how a 6'5" receiver with sub-4.5 speed goes so under the radar, but he's managed to do so somehow. I hope it was just bad QB play and that I'm not missing some huge flaw. He's definitely worth a look though.

And as always, thanks for the props. You know they mean a lot coming from you, brother.

IMO that's because veryone fell in love with DJ Chark after he had a huge game at the Sr. Bowl & then blew up the combine.

That's drawing some eyes off of ESB, which is silly because he's better than Chark. St. Brown is gonna be money & someone is gonna get a steal.

[King Jigsaw]

2 minutes ago, Knight of God said:

I'm just a knight bro. You're the king in these parts.

"Heavy is the head that wears the crown." -Shakespeare

...

Or Tupac.

[Knight of God]

Just now, King Jigsaw said:

"Heavy is the head that wears the crown." -Shakespeare

...

Or Tupac.

This dude is the truth. I see the issue plain as day. Bad QB and bad OL. I can only imagine how dude would look if he played on a better team. This kid is smooth, athletic, makes adjustments, and uses his length well. You can't coach that.

[Slappywhite]

I love it brother ,  I'd be very happy with this .  Nice job.

[Slappywhite]

4 minutes ago, King Jigsaw said:

"Heavy is the head that wears the crown." -Shakespeare

...

Or Tupac.

and the late great Chris Cornell w/ Zac Brown 

[King Jigsaw]

Just now, Slappywhite said:

I love it brother ,  I'd be very happy with this .  Nice job.

Thanks man, I appreciate it. Can't believe no one's ripped it yet, lol. You know you can't make everyone happy!

[Slappywhite]

Just now, King Jigsaw said:

Thanks man, I appreciate it. Can't believe no one's ripped it yet, lol. You know you can't make everyone happy!

I like  it better than mine , lol

[Knight of God]

1 minute ago, Slappywhite said:

and the late great Chris Cornell w/ Zac Brown 

Tha song is pretty awesome bro!

[k-train]

Just now, Knight of God said:

This dude is the truth. I see the issue plain as day. Bad QB and bad OL. I can only imagine how dude would look if he played on a better team. This kid is smooth, athletic, makes adjustments, and uses his length well. You can't coach that.

Heck yeah. Like I said in theat other thread, he'd be the perfect guy to come in an be able to make a solid impact from the get-go & then be in perfect position to transition to the #2 spot in about 2 years when/if Sanu's production slows to a point that no longer justifies his cap number.

[vel]

As blah as I am on BJ Hill, I think he's a big player on DQ's board and could easily see him picked, especially if he's there in the fourth. I wouldn't mind this draft at all. Only thing I wish we'd take is a corner, but Ferguson in the sixth isn't a bad pick. 

[ATLSlobberKnockers]

1 hour ago, King Jigsaw said:

¡Hola, Falcon Fans!

It's your favorite internet monarch here, bringing you another mock draft that will never actually happen in real life. Free Agency has bored the crap out of me as a Falcons fan and I'm not even going to include a roster at the end like I usually do, as this is only going to be a mock draft only. As always, I hope you enjoy reading, don't take things too seriously, and I look forward to all questions, comments, and concerns.

 

• Round 1, Pick 26 - Taven Bryan, DT, Florida
• Height: 6’4” Weight: 295 lbs.
  • This is one of those picks that you get tired of seeing because it is consistently included in a lot of mock drafts. Last year the popular pick was Bryan’s teammate at the same position, Caleb Brantley. This pick is a bit of a no-brainer if the Falcons do go with a defensive tackle at pick 26. Taven Bryan is an extremely disruptive force at the position and would be an excellent player behind (or beside, in obvious passing situations) Grady Jarrett. With our defensive line being so thin and with the signing of Fusco, this pick is almost guaranteed to be a defensive lineman.

 

• Round 2, Pick 58 - Equanimeous St. Brown, WR, Notre Dame
• Height: 6'5” Weight: 210 lbs.
  • The Falcons have a very talented 1-2 punch at Wide Receiver, but limited options past that. Justin Hardy is reliable, but unspectacular. Nick Williams is average, but a familiar commodity for the Front Office. St. Brown is a rare blend of speed and size, standing at 6'5" and running a 4.48 at the combine. Had it been for better QB play at Notre Dame, he'd likely be talked about as a fringe first rounder. The Falcons have had success moving Julio into the slot to abuse nickle corners, and 11, 12, and ESB all on the field at the same time would be extremely hard to defend.

 

• Round 3, Pick 90 - Kalen Ballage, RB, Arizona State
• Height: 6’1” Weight: 227 lbs.
  • It pains me to say that I've come to the realization that Freeman and Coleman won't be running mates forever. I'm probably in the minority that prefers Coleman over Freeman, but the FO made it clear that they view Freeman as one of the league's elite runners when they signed him to a massive deal. Atlanta knows that tough decisions will have to be made regarding what players we can afford to keep and which will leave at the expense of others. Tevin Coleman will be a hot name as the NFL Trade Deadline approaches later this year, and it would be wise for Atlanta to not only get something in return for a departing Coleman, but to also have his replacement on roster already. Enter Ballage, a known favorite of many that will be reading this mock. Ballage is thick-bodied, fast (4.4 fast), with excellent hands and experience returning kicks.

 

• Round 4, Pick 122 - BJ Hill, DT, NC State
• Height: 6'4” Weight: 315 lbs.
  • No one should be surprised if we draft multiple players on the d-line this year, as Grady Jarrett is the only real DT on roster. Crawford is a tweener who offers flexibility, but also hasn't seen much of the field due to injury. It would be unwise to rely on either of him or Ben Garland, who is more of an offensive lineman anyway. BJ Hill is plenty athletic enough for a man his size, having played RB in high school, but will need to continue adding strength to hold up to the more physical NFL blockers. I like the thought of resigning someone like Ahtya Rubin for a year and splitting the snaps between he and Hill. Next year we can add another big-bodied DT and let him and Hill hold down the position for the next few years.

 

• Round 5, Pick 154 - Traded to DEN for OT Ty Sambrailo.

 

• Round 6, Pick 186 - Riley Ferguson, QB, Memphis
• Height: 6’4” Weight: 210 lbs.
  • Ferguson is an interesting fit for our offense. People who cast him as a running QB will be disappointed when he doesn't put up Tyrod-like rushing numbers, but he is athletic enough and accurate enough to execute the rolling throws on bootlegs and play action plays. Will need to be coached up on a few things like pocket poise and pressure awareness, but the addition of Greg Knapp will pay dividends for a young QB like Ferg. We say it all the time that our season will hinge on the health of Matt Ryan, and getting Schaub off the payroll is necessary, so here's a cheap replacement.

 

• Round 7, Pick 218 - Nick Bawden, FB, San Diego State
• Height: 6’1” Weight: 244 lbs.
  • Did anyone else miss Patrick DiMarco this past year? I know I certainly did and here’s a step back in that direction. SDSU produces some of the best running backs, and has been dubbed "RBU". Taking a FB from such a productive rushing offense makes a lot of sense, as it's the closest thing to proven production seeing that we didn't sign someone like Keith Smith in Free Agency. Bawden is ready to be a lead blocker at the next level, and having displayed some receiving ability in college he will make for a very useful addition to the roster to help our offense get back to the productive levels we know it can attain.

 

• Priority UDFA -  Jarrett Johnson, DE, Texas A&M
• Height: 6'3" Weight: 265 lbs.
  • It's hard to get noticed when you're stuck behind studs like Daeshon Hall and Myles Garrett, but Johnson was impressive in his short time as a starter. He's a fast edge rusher that will need to get stronger to hold up in the NFL. As a designated pass rusher, however, he can be really effective early on. While Beasley and Takk will take up most of the snaps on the edge, Brooks Reed and Jarrett Johnson will still see the field and having a number of guys who can pressure the QB will never go out of style.

 

One Quick Note:

• I know the big position going unaddressed is TE, but I really don't think that we are interested in spending real capitol adding another. Hooper is still TE1 and should continue to improve. Saubert was just taken last year as a receiving threat who will see an increased number of snaps. I could see the Falcons adding a blocking TE as an UDFA (someone like Ethan Wolf wouldn't be a bad addition) and then addressing the position next year when we don't have so much work to do at other prime positions.

 Best mock I've seen. Doubt that Hill falls that far, and prob spend our 3rd there but the draft is stocked with rbs. 

Also Khalid hill(traditional fb)@ 265 pds , Ryan nall (snelling type tweeer)@ 235-240 PDS with a 4.5-4.55 40, are both better picks. I'd put flowers up there too.

If the draft played out that way I'd be ecstatic.

[caver50]

I thought we have 2 7th round picks

 

[KRUNKuno]

Ballage will go higher.   Big, shifty guy that runs fast.

he’s a Le’Veon clone.  

[Knight of God]

2 minutes ago, KRUNKuno said:

Ballage will go higher.   Big, shifty guy that runs fast.

he’s a Le’Veon clone.  

Hard to say. He's the 15th RB and only one and maybe 2 go in the 1st this year, but about 5-6 are supposed to go in the second, but I doubt that many. According to the board this week, 39 will go in the 1st, about than many in the second. Can't work that way. 

[KRUNKuno]

11 minutes ago, Knight of God said:

Hard to say. He's the 15th RB and only one and maybe 2 go in the 1st this year, but about 5-6 are supposed to go in the second, but I doubt that many. According to the board this week, 39 will go in the 1st, about than many in the second. Can't work that way. 

I think he goes late 2nd.  Add in his receiving skills and surely some team will bite 

 

[Knight of God]

15 minutes ago, KRUNKuno said:

I think he goes late 2nd.  Add in his receiving skills and surely some team will bite 

 

That's fine, but going with projections is not wrong no matter what. This is a good mock.