After winning their previous two games, the Falcons are unlikely to land Ohio State defensive end Chase Young in the 2020 NFL Draft.
With the team’s recent pass russ resurgence, it may not be the end of the world, though. Atlanta is likely to focus on the defensive side of the ball regardless of what happens over the final few weeks of the season.
It should come as no surprise that Draft Wire’s newest mock draft has the Falcons going defense with all four of their picks in the first three rounds.
Here’s a look at those four players mocked to Atlanta in Luke Easterling’s latest piece.
1st round (No. 8): Jeff Okudah, CB, Ohio State
Jeff Okudah is looking like a better fit as Falcons rookie CB Kendall Sheffield, the former Ohio State standout, continues to shine. Isaiah Oliver had a rough couple of weeks while Desmond Trufant was out, but has looked more comfortable since his return. Okudah is a blue-chip prospect that would immediately give the team another play-maker in the secondary.
2nd round (No. 39): Marvin Wilson, DL, Florida State
Florida State’s Marvin Wilson could give the Falcons a complementary interior defensive lineman to pair with Grady Jarrett. He would probably be a first-round pick if he hadn’t hurt his hand a few weeks ago, causing him to miss the rest of the year. Second-year DT Deadrin Senat hasn’t gotten much work this season, and the Falcons would be in serious trouble if they were to lose Jarrett for any amount of time.
2nd round (No. 63): Malik Harrison, LB, Ohio State
Atlanta could stand to replenish its linebacker depth after trading Duke Riley, so Ohio State’s Malik Henderson makes sense here late in the second round with the pick acquired from the Patriots in the Mohamed Sanu trade. Deion Jones is a core part of this defense, but they need to start putting more talent around him. Henderson is a good fit for Dan Quinn’s defense, assuming he’s still in charge next season.
3rd round (No. 70): Richard Lecounte, S, Georgia
The Falcons need secondary help. With their third-round pick, Easterling has the team drafting Georgia safety Richard Lecounte. Pro-Bowler Keanu Neal went down for the second straight year with a season-ending injury, which is cause for concern for any player. Lecounte led the Bulldogs in tackles last season and has recorded three interceptions, nine pass deflections, four fumble recoveries and two forced fumbles over his college career.
