Falcons Choose Defense at No. 8 in Latest PFF Mock Draft
As mock drafts rule this time of the NFL offseason, speculation runs wild about which college players will fill the biggest needs of which teams.
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The Atlanta Falcons have plenty of needs on both sides of the ball in 2022, and they begin the post-Matt Ryan era with Marcus Mariota under center. Does that eliminate the need for a quarterback in the draft? Absolutely not. Could Atlanta ride with Mariota in 2022 and draft a quarterback in 2023 when the quarterback class is a little deeper? Maybe.
But Pro Football Focus released its latest mock draft, with the Falcons still picking at No. 8 overall. PFF thinks instead of going with a quarterback or wideout early in the first round, Atlanta will go defense.
8. ATLANTA FALCONS: CB AHMAD GARDNER, CINCINNATI
Profile: 6’3”, 190 | Age: 21 (August 31, 2000)
Atlanta’s current arsenal of pass-catching weapons is neck-and-neck with the Green Bay Packers’ in terms of being the worst in the NFL, giving the Falcons’ brass ample reason to lock into a wide receiver early in the draft. USC’s Drake London or Ohio State’s Garrett Wilson both are viable first-round selections for Atlanta, but — in an effort to stick to the board and draft value over need — I lean Cincinnati cornerback Ahmad Gardner at No. 8 overall. He is a perfect scheme fit for what Dean Pees and the Falcons want to do on defense and should offer immediate production playing opposite of 2021 breakout A.J. Terrell.
Gardner has been called the most technical cornerback available in the draft and is expected to make an immediate impact on his team in the NFL. Anyone with the nickname, "Sauce" will be expected to.
The combination of Terrell and Gardner in the Falcons' secondary could help alleviate some of the pressure on the defensive front and improve the entire unit almost immediately. The NFL.com pro comparison is Richard Sherman, and those are some big shoes to fill for Gardner. But he seems fully capable, wherever he ends up.
The NFL Draft begins on April 28 in Las Vegas.
