Atlanta Falcons 7-Round NFL Mock Draft
Falcons fans have a lot to be excited about. From the looks of it, new head coach, Arthur Smith, as well as new general manager, Terry Fontenot, have made it a priority to develop a relationship that both have exclaimed is going to be a great fit. This new regime is going to face some immediate challenges. This starts with the direction of the franchise.
There have been many speculations of where the team is headed regarding the quarterback position. With Matt Ryan’s current contract structure, it would make it very difficult for the team to move on from him over the next two years. After that, however, they could look to move on from the Ryan era in Atlanta. The question becomes: Do the Falcons find his heir apparent in the 2021 NFL Draft?
There are two trains of thought from hints we have received from both Smith and Fontenot in their respective opening press conferences. Both talked about the talent on the roster and how that was a contributor to them finding the job they took to be appealing. Fontenot made it known that they would not reach in the draft and would attack the draft in a manner that they bring in good football players. He even discusses how making a strength stronger is a good thing when you bring in talent.
Lastly, and the point that Falcons fans may be able to take the most from his opening presser, Terry Fontenot said “We’re going to make decisions to have sustained success, we’re not going to be prisoners of the moment”. He went on to discuss how they won’t allow themselves to make decisions that help them next year but hurt their future outlook.
This point begs the question: Will the Falcons go quarterback in the first round? Letting a top quarterback prospect in the 2021 NFL Draft go could make you “prisoners of the moment” by negating a need that’ll benefit the future while focusing on the one or two-year outlook of the team under Matt Ryan. It all comes to the point of value in the draft for Fontenot which is something all Falcons fans at the end of the day can appreciate.
Today, we’re going to attack the draft from a perspective of what we think may happen with the Falcons in the 2021 NFL Draft under the new regime.
The best scenario for the Falcons to attack all of their needs with capable prospects is to utilize their first-round pick and trade back if the three quarterbacks are off the board at the top with Miami potentially trading out of three overall.
Round 1, Pick 4 Overall: Penei Sewell, OT, Oregon
The rumblings and feeling that Miami will move out of the third overall pick for a quarterback-needy team to jump the Falcons is growing by the week. If each of the top three quarterbacks go before the Falcons’ selection, Penei Sewell becomes the best player available. Obviously, the offensive line pick wouldn’t be a flashy selection, however, Arthur Smith brings his power run scheme over from Tennessee and to run that scheme effectively, Atlanta has to add talent to their offensive line.
Trey Lance could be the selection here and give the Falcons a sense of a future at the quarterback position, and though he would still be a value pick at this point, Sewell may very well be the best prospect in the 2021 NFL Draft if taking the positional value of quarterback out of the equation. Bring in Sewell to beef up a middling offensive line that will need help transitioning to a new scheme and reap the benefits for 5 or more years with Sewell.
Round 2, Pick 36 Overall: Eric Stokes, CB, Georgia
Georgia fans, are you happy? There is an argument made by those that are fans of the Falcons and the Georgia Bulldogs, and it’s that Atlanta historically never drafts Georgia players. Now, this argument is blown out of proportion, however, the value of Eric Stokes at the top of the second round is really good. Again, Fontenot has made it a point to say that value will be at the top of his team’s priorities when navigating the draft. It just happens to be that this would also help a position of need.
Isaiah Oliver and Kendall Sheffield have not lived up to their billing and though A.J. Terrell impressed relative to expectations in his rookie season, the Falcons still have to address the other cornerback spot. Stokes comes in with adequate size, elite speed, and improved ball skills throughout his tenure in Athens. His ability to play in both man and zone coverages effectively could prove valuable to the Falcons’ defense from day one.
Round 3, Pick 68 Overall: Carlos Basham Jr., DE, Wake Forest
Atlanta’s lack of pass rush makes it a first-round need for this franchise, yet unfortunately, there isn’t a Chase Young or Nick Bosa at the top of the 2021 NFL Draft for Atlanta to feel comfortable taking a defensive end early. Carlos Basham Jr. brings a nuanced approach as a pass-rusher, though. He won’t wow with athleticism, however, he is able to win with hand fighting, manipulating angles, and has a strong, dense frame that is hard to hold up against when bull-rushing.
Basham Jr. may never be a double-digit sack a year pass rusher, but he will be able to provide ample production as a run defender while being able to bring in six-eight sacks per year consistently. He shouldn’t take long to get comfortable as his experience and tape reveals nuance and understanding of counters and spacing when rushing the passer.
Round 4, Pick 108 Overall: Andre Cisco, S, Syracuse
Ricardo Allen is set to hit free agency, and though Damonte Kazee can run the team’s free safety role, for now, the Falcons may want to bring in someone with a ton of upside like they can with Andre Cisco. Cisco’s biggest flaws stem from his aggressive nature which will take some time and development to work out of him sometimes. Other times, Cisco is making ridiculous plays in coverage.
He takes risks, but he is able to turn the football over more often than most which is such a value in the NFL. He is a developmental free safety that has more range than just about anybody in the 2021 NFL Draft when asked to play single-high. Kazee can provide Cisco a bridge year to pick up on some of the decision-making concerns he has.
Round 5, Pick 147 Overall: Rhamondre Stevenson, RB, Oklahoma
There is no question that the Falcons have to bring in at least one running back in the 2021 NFL Draft. Todd Gurley II did not provide the level of play that Atlanta was hoping for in 2020 and is off the books moving forward. Rhamondre Stevenson came on late as he suffered a suspension to begin the shortened season. Stevenson, stylistically, is just the running back Arthur Smith’s scheme will want. At six-foot 230-pounds, Stevenson has the power and downhill running ability that the Titans had with Derrick Henry (to a lesser extent, obviously). Stevenson has been able to fly under the radar which could provide great value for the position with his talent level.
Round 5, Pick 181 Overall: Elerson Smith, DE, Northern Iowa
The Falcons may look to invest multiple selections at defensive end in the 2021 NFL Draft. Even if Dante Fowler Jr. returns in 2021, he may be gone after next season. Atlanta needs to invest in developmental guys at the positional to mold and develop to build on this lacking pass rush unit. Elerson Smith, coming from the FCS, was dominant in his time at college. Though undersized, Smith took this off-year with the cancellation of the FCS season to work on his body to be better built for the next level.
He wasn’t heavily recruited because he came into college at 204-pounds. Over the next two years at Northern Iowa, he was able to stack on 40 pounds as he was listed at 245-pounds in 2019. During this offseason, he worked to put on another 17-pounds to get up to 262-pounds before the Senior Bowl where he flashed with his length, athleticism, and an array of pass rush moves. He should be able to fill a rotational pass rush role immediately with the potential to become a plus starter in years two and three.
Round 6, Pick 185 Overall: Cornell Powell, WR, Clemson
What did Fontenot say? He likes the idea of making strengths stronger. The Falcons have one of the NFL’s best receiving corps and Cornell Powell can add to that. Coming on late in his collegiate career, Powell has dominated down the stretch of the 2020 season. With an impressive week at the Senior Bowl behind him, Powell is poised to step in and build off the momentum and skillset he has as he transitions to the next level.
Round 6, Pick 214 Overall: Jamien Sherwood, S, Auburn
Jamien Sherwood is a proven run defender with man coverage ability that can handle tight ends in the passing game well. He doesn’t possess elite athleticism that’ll knock him down draft boards, but his physicality and sure tackling ability will make him an asset on special teams at the very least with upside to play a slot defending role as a rotational piece early on in his career.
Round 6, Pick 216 Overall: Thomas Graham Jr., CB, Oregon
The Falcons can afford to invest multiple picks in the defensive backfield late, and Thomas Graham Jr. looks like he can be a solid role player and depth piece at corner for a while. There is nothing about his physical skill set that screams upside, but he seems to have a knack for disrupting the catch point. Without any glaring issues, Graham Jr. should be able to come in and be a solid role player on the Falcons defense that wouldn’t kill you if forced to start his rookie season if an injury were to occur.
Round 7, Pick 228 Overall: Chris Evans, RB, Michigan
If the Falcons don’t draft a running back early and get Najee Harris or Jovante Wiliams to fill that Derrick Henry role in this offense, there’s a world where they select multiple guys to form a committee approach for now. Pairing Chris Evans with Stevenson, who we took earlier in this mock, provides a capable third-down change of pace receiving running back option for Smith and this offense to get creative with. After an impressive Senior Bowl, Evans showed he has a place in this league and would pair well with Stevenson with this approach in mind.
Atlanta is in an odd place as a franchise, and with Arthur Blank turning over a new page in the organization with the new head coach and general manager hire, the Falcons could look to take this team in a number of directions. The 2021 NFL Draft will likely be the first sign the fans get to understanding the landscape and goal of this regime’s first season. Do they build to try to win now? Do they jump ship and go into a full rebuild? Or, do they try to find a middle ground where they are cognizant of their future while adding talent to compete? I’d expect the Falcons to try to do the latter which could make for some interesting years in Atlanta.
