Potential draft rumors are obviously more exciting than the reality that the Atlanta Falcons could ultimately stay put at pick No. 16.
I’m not suggesting Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff isn’t capable of moving up if one of the elite defenders in this class falls into range. Deals don’t always work out the way the Julio Jones trade did in 2011, though.
Atlanta doesn’t need to move up in order to find a quality player in the first round. Let’s take a look at six potential options for the team in the middle of round one.
CB Jeff Gladney – TCU
2019 Stats: 31 tackles (24 solo), 0.5 sacks, 1 INT, 14 passes defended
Analysis: Gladney wouldn’t just be a consolation prize to fill the team’s desperate need at the defensive back position. He has the size, speed and ball skills to become a really effective outside corner. No, he’s not CJ Henderson or Jeff Okdah, but Gladney has been a consistent force at TCU and has experience to step in as a No. 2 corner as a rookie effectively.
If Keanu Neal and Ricardo Allen are healthy behind him, Atlanta would be in position to have three starting-caliber corners fighting it out for the two outside spots. The secondary would undoubtedly be better in this scenario, especially taking the team’s improved defensive line into account.
Video: Check out Gladney’s performance below against Texas.
LB Kenneth Murray – Oklahoma
2019 Stats: 102 tackles (69 solo), 4 sacks, 4 passes deflected
Analysis: As much as Atlanta is rumored to be all in on a first-round corner, the value may not be there if Dimitroff is unable to swing a trade and land either CJ Henderson or Jeff Okudah. Say the team likes A.J. Terrell but feels the value isn’t there at pick 16, Oklahoma’s Kenneth Murray makes a lot of sense as an instant-impact option.
The Falcons like Foye Oluokun, and rightfully so, but adding talent doesn’t always work with your team’s needs. Two versatile linebackers like Deion Jones and Murray could let Atlanta do some different things defensively. Plus, Oluokun could still a prominent role with De’Vondre Campbell out of the picture and a lack of depth at the position.
Video: Here’s Murray against Texas Tech last season.
DT Javon Kinlaw – South Carolina
2019 Stats: 35 tackles (16 solo), 6 sacks, 2 fumble recoveries, 1 pass deflected
Analysis: Kinlaw falling to pick 16 seems more and more probable the closer we get to the start of tonight’s draft. With the restrictions due to COVID-19, health issues could be a bigger factor than normal in this year’s virtual event. Kinlaw is unquestionably a blue-chip talent, but due the way this draft is set up with talented defenders at corner, linebacker and defensive end with two or three quarterbacks set to go in the top 15 potentially, it’s a real possibility he falls.
Kinlaw would give the Falcons some additional interior pressure next to Grady Jarrett, something head coach Dan Quinn said recently that he values more than edge rush. Check out Scott Carasik’s recent mock that has Atlanta landing Kinlaw. If he’s there, Falcons better pray Thomas Dimitroff’s WiFi doesn’t go out.
Video: Kinlaw records a sack in a win over Georgia.
OL Cesar Ruiz – Michigan
Analysis: Ruiz is a pick that would drive some fans crazy, while pleasing those who believe this team is a strong offensive line away from contending. Ruiz can play guard or center, and is a plug-and-play option that can improve this team both next season and beyond. Alex Mack may not be here in 2021, so replacing the Pro Bowl center with a polished lineman like Ruiz isn’t the craziest idea in the world.
It would be the world’s least sexy pick, especially after the team selected two first-round offensive linemen in last year’s draft. However, it’s not always about the flash, as the Falcons have learned after seeing what was supposed to be a high-powered offense sputter last season.
Video: Here’s Ruiz at center in a physical Big-10 battle against Iowa.
CB A.J. Terrell – Clemson
2019 Stats: 34 tackles (24 solo), 0.5 sacks, 2 INTs, 3 passes defended
Analysis: Terrell is an option due to the team’s need for a starting-caliber corner, as well as being a good fit playing for Falcons defensive coordinator Raheem Morris. Could he start in 2020? That remains to be seen, but Terrell is a talented, confident back that has matched up with some of the best talent in college football over the past three seasons at Clemson.
Long term, he could be a great player. Although, the stakes are high for Dimitroff and Co. next season after two-straight 7-9 finishes. Our own Cam Marino projected Terrell to the Falcons in his final mock draft earlier this week.
Video: See how Terrell plays when targeted in this compilation.
DT Ross Blacklock – TCU
2019 Stats: 40 tackles (25 solo), 3.5 sacks
Analysis: The darkhorse, TCU’s Ross Blacklock fits Dan Quinn’s mold for an interior linemen that can create pressure. In this scenario, Atlanta’s interior one-two combo of Jarrett and Blacklock would free up Dante Fowler Jr. and Takk McKinley to get after the quarterback. Jarrett is an All-Pro talent, but the more help he gets, the more effective he can become.
The Falcons met with Blacklock at the combine, and while not everyone agrees on how high he could go, he makes sense if the Falcons get stuck at pick 16 and want to find an instant-impact player.
Video: Blacklock gets a sack in an early-season meeting with Purdue.
