Atlanta Falcons May have Tipped Their Hand Ahead of NFL Draft

Atlanta Falcons fans can throw out any mock draft that has the team drafting a wide receiver at No. 15 overall. They can also forget about any mock that has Penn State tight end Tyler Warren going to Atlanta as a replacement for Kyle Pitts.

That's because The AJC's D. Orlando Ledbetter reported on Feb. 25 that the Falcons will not use a single one of their 2025 NFL draft interviews on an offensive prospect.

In fact, for the NFL combine this week, the Falcons left their entire offensive coaching staff at home.

"Falcons to have defensive draft: None of the Falcons assistant offensive coaches will attend the combine," Ledbetter wrote on X (formerly Twitter). "The Falcons are using all 45 of their interview meetings on defensive player."

#Falcons to have defensive draft: None of the Falcons assistant offensive coaches will attend the combine. The Falcons are using all 45 of their interview meetings on defensive players.
— D. Orlando Ledbetter (@DOrlandoAJC) February 25, 2025

NFL teams don't always draft players they interview. But it's also not typical for an NFL team not to do at least some due diligence on both sides of the ball.

While unconventional, most Falcons fans are likely to welcome this decision. With the Falcons' clear plan to focus on defense, the organization is very likely set to draft their first defensive player in the first round since 2020. In that draft, the Falcons selected cornerback A.J. Terrell at No. 16 overall.

Over the past eight years, the Falcons have nabbed a defender in the first round only twice.

Not only have the Falcons focused on offense at the top of the board in recent years, they've drafted skilled position players. The last time they selected an offensive or defensive linemen in the first round was when Atlanta double dipped on offensive line with guard Chris Lindstrom at No. 14 and tackle Kaleb McGary at No. 31 overall in 2019.

The Falcons own the No. 15 overall pick this spring.

The pass rush is the most obvious area of need for Atlanta. The Falcons were 31st in sacks with 31 during the 2024 campaign. They haven't finished in the top half of the league in sacks since their last postseason appearance in 2017.

But the Falcons could also target a secondary upgrade in the first round. In Raheem Morris' first season as head coach, the Falcons were 22nd in passing yards allowed and 31st in passing touchdowns yielded.

The Falcons, along with the other 31 NFL teams, will meet and scout the incoming draft prospects in Indianapolis, Ind. this week at the combine. The 2025 NFL draft will take place in Green Bay, Wis. from April 24-26.