David Ojabo, Derek Stingley, Kavon Thibodeaux linked to No. 8 overall pick
Jordan Reid, ESPN (two-round simulation)
- Dated: February 7
- Hawks choose: No. 8
- Selection: CB Derek Stingley Jr., LSU
To analyse: “After the selection of Kyle Pitts last year, general manager Terry Fontenot and coach Arthur Smith have already shown that they are not shy about sticking to their board and taking the best perspective. get here too, as they already have 2020 first-rounder AJ Terrell, a second-team All-Pro selection this season, locking down one side of the field Taking the super-talented Stingley is a gamble on high-level traits and play that we saw from him as a rookie in 2019, when he had six interceptions for the national champions.”
- Hawks choose: No. 43
- Selection: IDL DeMarvin Leal, Texas A&M
To analyse: “The Falcons had the league’s worst 18 sacks last season, and their focus needs to be on retooling the trenches and finding a way to generate pressure. The team wants to get back to body types dense and long for defensive coordinator Dean Pees. 3-4 pattern. At 6-foot-4 and 290 pounds, Leal’s traits fit the bill. He had 8.5 sacks last season.
- Hawks choose: No. 58 (via TEN)
- Selection: WR John Metchie III, Alabama
To analyse: Metchie tore his ACL in the SEC title game in December, but he had 96 catches for 1,142 yards and eight touchdowns before the injury. Injury is a big question mark, but when healthy he’s a fast, detailed road runner with strong hands at the catch point. The Falcons may have receiver questions with Calvin Ridley’s status unknown.
Luke Easterling, Yahoo! Sports (three-round simulation)
- Dated: February 9
- Hawks choose: No. 8
- Selection: EDGE David Ojabo, Michigan
To analyse: “This defensive front needs a difference maker in the worst possible way, especially around the edges. As Hutchinson made a meteoric rise throughout the 2021 college football season, so did Ojabo. His explosiveness and his knack for getting past opposing quarterbacks should make him a top-10 pick.”
- Selection: W. R. Jahan Dotson, Penn State
- Hawks choose: No. 58 (via TEN)
- Selection: S Lewis Cine, Georgia
- Hawks choose: No. 74
- Selection: OL Jamaree Salyer
Lance Zierlein, NFL Network
- Dated: February 8
- Hawks choose: No. 8
- Selection: WR Treylon Burks, Arkansas
To analyse: “The Falcons could go with Michigan rusher David Ojabo here, but Burks gives them a dynamic athlete who, along with Kyle Pitts, can create shifts galore from a variety of lineups.”
Chris Trapasso, CBS Sports
- Dated: February 9
- Hawks choose: No. 8
- Selection: EDGE Kayvon Thibodeaux, OR
To analyse: The Falcons are happy to end Thibodeaux’s downfall. He has all the talent to eventually be one of the top 5 rushers in the NFL. There is just a bit of rawness in his game.
Seth Galina, Pro Football Focus
- Dated: February 7
- Hawks choose: No. 8
- Selection: EDGE Kayvon Thibodeaux, OR
To analyse: “The Falcons can’t ignore Thibodeaux, who is in a position that was a weak point for years in Atlanta. The last time the Falcons had any presence was in 2017. In fact, since then they haven’t had an Edge Defender rating over 75.0 while playing over 200 snaps in a season – four straight seasons of bad edge pass rush “Thibs” has the corner that NFL teams covet, but he has to learn more pass-rush moves as he gets more familiar with NFL tackles.”