The Falcons have less draft capital after trading away their additional second-round pick to acquire Hayden Hurst from the Ravens, but that move filled the team’s massive hole at the tight end position.
After throwing out some potential options for Atlanta in rounds one and two, let’s take a deeper look at three prospects the team could target in the third round (pick No. 78 overall) of the 2020 NFL Draft.
CB Reggie Robinson — Tulsa
2019 Stats: 38 tackles (26 solo), 4 INTs, 13 passes defended, 2 fumble recoveries
Analysis: Big, strong and fast are the best words to describe Tulsa’s Reggie Robinson. Atlanta’s biggest need after the first wave of free agency is at corner. Last season, when Desmond Trufant went down, the team was forced to put a lot on the shoulders of Kendall Sheffield and Isaiah Oliver. Both are promising players that figure to improve in 2020 with Raheem Morris calling the plays, but Robinson has the frame of a prototypical NFL outside corner. He had a quiet career at Tulsa until he picked off four passes and defended 13 this season as a senior.
Robinson is projected to go somewhere in the third or fourth rounds, but his combine performance (4.44 40-yard dash time) has some scouts elevating him even higher. At pick No. 78, the Falcons would be getting someone that has good ball skills and potential to eventually start at outside corner.
Video: Robinson plays well here against Oklahoma State:
RB Cam Akers — Florida State
2019 Stats: 231 rushes, 1,144 yards, 5.0 yards per carry, 14 TDs; 30 receptions, 225 yards, 4 TDs
Analysis: Akers could go anywhere from the second to the fourth, but he makes a lot of sense for Atlanta here as a speedy complement to Todd Gurley — who is reportedly healthy but hasn’t taken a physical due to the COVID-19 quarantine. Falcons GM Thomas Dimitroff has not ruled out adding a back in the draft, and the third is probably the earliest the team would consider doing so.
If he’s there at pick No. 78, it would only help the team’s abysmal rushing attack, while taking pressure off of Gurley early on. Akers averaged five yards per carry and racked up 18 total touchdowns last year at Florida State. Plus, former FSU back Devonta Freeman sure worked out okay for the Falcons.
Watch: Akers averages 7.7 yards per carry here against Boise State:
DL DaVon Hamilton —
2019 Stats: 28 tackles (18 solo), 6 sacks, 1 fumble recovery
Analysis: While a bit of a one-year wonder, Ohio State’s DaVon Hamilton showed outstanding interior pass-rush ability in 2019. The Falcons have Grady Jarrett and Tyeler Davison locked up, but adding the 6-4, 310-pound behemoth could be a great move for both the present and future.
Hamilton, at worst, would be a good situational pass-rusher that could rotate in. At best, he could eventually start inside next to Jarrett. The track record of success is short, but his stellar 2019 season warrants a third-round selection.
Video: Here’s Hamilton going up against Indiana last season:
