Falcons select defensive lineman in latest CBS Sports mock draft

With Super Bowl LIV in the rear view mirror, national NFL columnists have turned their attention to the 2020 draft. It's still more than two months away, but it's never really too early to take a look at how the first round could potentially break.

After their second consecutive 7-9 season, the Atlanta Falcons will select at No. 16 in the first round, assuming they don't trade out of the pick to move up or down on the draft board. Last season, the Falcons drafted guard Chris Lindstrom out of Boston College with the No. 14 overall selection.

In the latest CBS Sports 2020 NFL Mock Draft, Tom Fornelli has the Falcons picking South Carolina defensive lineman Javon Kinlaw.

Here's Fornelli explanation for how Kinlaw fits with the Falcons:

"I first really noticed Kinlaw in South Carolina's win over Georgia. He was just pushing Georgia linemen around, and it's one of the biggest, strongest OLs in the country. There's a lot to like here."

The Falcons could certainly use help on their defensive line. While defensive tackle Grady Jarrett made his first Pro Bowl, most of the other defensive linemen struggled for Atlanta, especially at the beginning of the season. The Falcons had just seven sacks in their first eight games on their way to a 1-7 start in 2019.

This week, the Falcons announced they will not re-sign edge rusher Vic Beasley. Once an All-Pro, Beasley had a strong finish to 2019, but overall, he hasn't been the same player since leading the NFL in sacks with 15.5 in 2016. Nevertheless, the Falcons will need to replace Beasley and, hopefully, upgrade the defensive line so Jarrett doesn't face as many double teams.

ESPN's Todd McShay raved about Kinlaw on SportsCenter this week, saying "if God was going to make a defensive lineman, it's this guy."

Kinlaw posted 35 total tackles, including 6.0 for loss and 6.0 sacks this season. He recorded a sack and tackle for loss against Georgia, and the Bulldogs yielded just 15 sacks the whole season. Only four teams in the FBS allowed fewer sacks per game than Georgia in 2019.

The Falcons would be very fortunate to land a talented pass rushed like Kinlaw at No. 16, but he isn't on the board at that point in the first round in many other mock drafts.