The Falcons are a team that seems to have finally accepted a rebuild. Franchise quarterback Matt Ryan is in Indianapolis and other key players could follow him out. While Atlanta doesn’t have a lot of extra picks, they did pick up a few from Julio Jones and Matt Ryan’s trades. The Falcons are expected to have plenty of cap space next year, but they will only have 25 players barring other renewals or multi-year signings. If Atlanta wants to get even more bodies in the herd, they might try trading down from the 8th pick. I’m usually for trading down — I like a lot of second-day prospects, and I want more bites of the apple to add talent to a roster that badly needs it. As always, I’ll be using the Draft Network’s mock simulator for trades and player picks. If you would like to take a look at any of my previous mock designs, they are listed below:
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Jake’s Falcons Offseason Mock Draft 1.0 (7 rounds)
Jake’s Falcons Offseason Mock Draft 2.0: Post Senior Bowl (7 Rounds)
Jake’s Falcons Offseason Mock Draft 3.0: Post Combine (7 Rounds)
Jake’s Falcons Offseason Mock Draft 4.0: Matt Ryan, Grady Jarrett & Deion Jones Trade Scenario (7 Rounds)
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The trade
Falcon Trade: Choose 8
Packer Trading: Pick 22, Pick 28, Pick 59, Future 2nd Round Pick
The Packers may be taking a big step toward making Aaron Rodgers one of the big receivers in this class, but this looks like a pretty deep group. Regardless, it’s just a hypothetical trade in a mock draft. Who cares. I’ll be using the Draft Network’s Draft Simulator and, as always, will be on the lookout for testers with traits.
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Round 1, pick 22 (from Green Bay): CB Andrew Booth Jr. – Clemson
How about another lockdown corner from Clemson to pair with AJ Terrell? This is an incredibly talented cornerback class, and the Georgia native could be the best. Andrew Booth was one of college football’s most formidable defensive ends, a rare combination of a sticky corner with good zone instincts and top-notch ball skills. Booth can take away a team’s best receiver, and with AJ Terrell playing like an All Pro, you’re looking at a franchise duo at cornerback. If Isaiah Oliver can come back healthy in 2022 and play the slot as well as he did at the start of 2021, things will look a lot better for Falcons Secondary.
Relative Athletic Score: N/A
Round 1, pick 28 (from Green Bay): EDGE George Karlaftis – Purdue
Karlaftis is a great athlete and he gets a lot of push forward and has strong hands that can help him hold his own against the run. He has one of the higher floors in the whole group. Not only does he provide Atlanta with a lot of immediate help against the run, but he also has tremendous sporting potential to develop into a cornerstone pass rusher.
Relative athletic score: 9.2/10
Round 2, pick 43: WR Christian Watson – North Dakota State
I’m taking all your Christian Watson stock now. At 6’5 and 210 pounds, Watson moves like a receiver half his height. He’s going to have to get used to an NFL route tree, but with his raw gifts and insane catch radius, I’ll do my best and say he’ll be one of the top receivers in this entire class. I had Watson third on this list before the combine, but after he blew me away with his athleticism I’m picking him so early in the draft.
Relative athletic score: 9.96/10
Round 2, pick 58 (from Tennessee): LB Quay Walker – Georgia
Walker made an incredible leap as a senior in Georgia and was a big part of the National Championship effort. He’s a freak athlete who can cover both sidelines well. With the futures of Deion Jones and Foyesade Oluokun in Jacksonville, the Falcons are picking up a potential linebacker cornerstone. Walker, Karlaftis and Booth give the Falcons three solid pieces on all three levels of defense, and the addition of Watson helps deplete very weak wide receiver space.
Relative athletic score: 9.63/10
Round 2, pick 59 (from Green Bay): EDGE Josh Paschal – Kentucky
Paschal is a prospect I’m really looking forward to – he’s very versatile in his skills and he’s been chart testing. He moved like a pawn around the Kentucky defense but still shows plenty of explosiveness off the edge as a pure pass rusher. He’s a guy who could easily be a massive steal on day two.
Relative athletic score: 9.7/10
Round 3, pick 74: RB Breece Hall – State of Iowa
I think running back is a luxury pick at this point, but with an additional third-round pick, you’re just picking the best player on the board. I was honestly shocked that Hall fell so far. I really liked him in the last draft, but he returned to Iowa State and is now one of the most decorated defensemen in team history. Hall has a lot of miles on his feet, but he’s a dodgy runner who’s good at navigating the lanes. Jonathan Taylor has kind of put aside those “too many miles” arguments in 2021. Hall is a great athlete with many assets who can provide quality carries to an NFL team from day one. He athletically tested himself off the charts and really helped his own draft stick.
Relative athletic score: 9.96/10
Round 3, pick 82 (from Indianapolis): IDL Travis Jones – Connecticut
Jones had a fantastic week in the Senior Bowl, showing off his ability to rush the passer while plugging holes down the middle at 6ft 4 and 330lbs. He’s a strong run defender and a plus athlete that teams will be very interested in on day two.
Relative athletic score: 9.39/10
Round 4, pick 114: WR Alec Pierce – Cincinnati
Pierce drew a lot of attention as I watched Desmond Ridder and Jerome Ford. It is a large-bodied receiver with a large capture radius. He seems to understand Cincinnati’s offense very well and fights for the football in attack. Throw in the fact that he went nuclear at the combine and you have a really, really good looking prospect. The Falcons are in dire need of receiver help and Pierce and Watson are a nice young combination to develop in what will be a development-focused year.
Relative athletic score: 9.81/10
Round 5, pick 151: P Matt Arazia — San Diego State
A punter in the fifth round might sound crazy, but listen to me – I’ve made that choice before. Thomas Morestead is gone and the Falcons need a punter. Once you know who Matt Araiza is, it will all make sense. He set an FBS record for 51.19 yards per punt in 2021. He also set the NCAA record for punts for 50 yards or more with 39 and the record for punts for 60 yards or more with 18. He also had two punts from 80+ yards in 2021, including an 86-yarder. Why not take a special team weapon like that in the fifth round? someone will
Relative Athletic Score: N/A
Round 6, pick 190: OT Max Mitchell – Louisiana
Mitchell, one of my favorite sleepers in this entire class, seems like the perfect candidate for a team trying to develop a real start. He’s a good athlete who has played well against top competition and I think he has the body and the skills to develop into a great player in the NFL. His technique is quite advanced for a sun belt player, making him a fantastic pickup on day three.
Relative athletic score: 5.86/10
Round 6, Pick 214 (Projected Compensation Pick): TE Daniel Bellinger-San Diego State
Bellinger posted insane numbers at the combine, and his vertical was also higher than I expected. It has a large catch radius and is a hard run blocker. While he doesn’t burn anyone on tape or create much separation, he has the makeup to be a mismatch at 6’4 while running a 4.63.
Relative athletic score: 9.64/10
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