Mel Kiper's Atlanta Falcons NFL Draft Prediction

Mel Kiper included the Atlanta Falcons among a handful of predictions he made for the NFL Draft's first round on Thursday night.

NFL Draft day has finally arrived, and the Atlanta Falcons are scheduled to be on the clock tonight with the No. 8 pick.

Once the Falcons signed Kirk Cousins in free agency, they've continually been linked with edge rushers, particularly former Alabama Crimson Tide standout Dallas Turner.

ESPN's Mel Kiper released his draft-day news and notes on Thursday morning and included a prediction for the Falcons. It wasn't exactly a bold prediction if you've been paying attention the previous month, but the godfather of NFL Draft analysts is calling his shot.

"The Falcons will take the first defensive player in the draft," Kiper wrote on ESPN+. "I see this as edge rusher Dallas Turner (Alabama) or defensive tackle Byron Murphy II (Texas). The Falcons' defensive line was rough last season. Atlanta finished 32nd in pass rush win rate (30.9%). I have Turner ranked higher on my board (No. 9 vs. No. 27), but many teams see Murphy as an impact interior pass-rusher, which has increased his value."

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Atlanta spent three-consecutive top-10 picks on offensive skill players. With that side of the ball solidified for the most part, the Falcons are in position to address the defense in this year's draft.

Being projected to take the first-defensive player off the board gives the Falcons some advantages. They're in a prime position to move back and pick up another top-50 pick in an offensive heavy draft.

In the same column, Kiper predicts former Washington quarterback Michael Penix won't fall below the Las Vegas Raiders at No. 13. The Broncos at No. 12 and the Vikings at No. 11 are also interested in quarterbacks.

The Falcons could tempt one of those teams to trade up for Penix, Oregon's Bo Nix, or even Michigan's J.J. McCarthy should he slip past pick seven.

NFL.com's Lance Zierlein has the Falcons trading down and swapping picks with the Vikings and still getting Turner at 11.

The Vikings don't have a second-round pick or third-round pick, and it would be interesting to know how eager they are to deal with the Falcons after bringing tampering charges against them with regards to Cousins. Would the Falcons be interested in a 2025-second rounder?

General manager Terry Fontenot has done an excellent job rebuilding the Falcons' roster in his three-year tenure. Thanks to an underachieving team in 2023, Atlanta is once again in a good spot to pick an impact player at a premium position.

Mel Kiper thinks it will be the top defensive player in the draft.