NFL Mock Draft: Who Do Falcons Take After Big Blockbuster Trade?
The NFL Draft looks very different after the Carolina Panthers traded up from No. 9 to No. 1 with the Chicago Bears.
By trading up, the Panthers hopped over their NFC South rival Atlanta Falcons at No. 8, and the board is brand new.
In ESPN's latest mock draft, the Falcons' needs don't change, but their targets do. ESPN projects that the Falcons will take Georgia outside linebacker Nolan Smith with the No. 8 pick.
"After 21 sacks, the Falcons need all the pass-rush help they can get," ESPN writes. "Lorenzo Carter -- who joined Grady Jarrett as the only Atlanta players with at least three sacks last season -- was just re-signed, but this team needs more players who can get pressure off the edge."
There is a chance the Falcons could take a quarterback, but with the Panthers trading up, it makes it far less likely for Atlanta to land one of the top signal callers if the team stays at No. 8. Someone could argue that the Panthers (No. 1), Houston Texans (No. 2), Indianapolis Colts (No. 4) and Las Vegas Raiders (No. 7) will all take quarterbacks, leaving the Falcons to take one of the best non-quarterbacks in the draft.
Outside of the quarterbacks, Alabama outside linebacker Will Anderson (No. 3, Arizona Cardinals), Texas Tech pass rusher Tyree Wilson (No. 5, Seattle Seahawks) and Oregon cornerback Christian Gonzalez (No. 6, Detroit Lions) are off the board by the time the Falcons are on the clock.
The mock draft leaves players like Georgia defensive tackle Jalen Carter or Northwestern offensive tackle Peter Skoronski on the board, but Smith is rising up draft boards and he can offer the Falcons some much-needed help on the pass rush front should he come to Atlanta.
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