Falcons select edge rusher in Mel Kiper Jr.’s new mock draft

The Atlanta Falcons find themselves with a top-10 pick in the NFL draft for a third year in a row. The team has many needs, but the lack of a pass rusher has been the Falcons’ Achilles heel for at least five seasons.

ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. released his first mock draft of the 2023 offseason earlier this week and projects Atlanta to address its pass rush by selecting Clemson EDGE Myles Murphy with the No. 8 pick.

“The Falcons had just 21 sacks this season, which ranked 31st in the league, and they were led by Grady Jarrett’s six,” writes Kiper. “Veteran edge rusher Lorenzo Carter added four, while rookie second-round pick Arnold Ebiketie had 2.5. No other player had more than two. They have to get better along the front seven. That could start here with Murphy, a complete defender who had 17.5 sacks in three seasons at Clemson. He could even kick inside to tackle on passing downs.

Atlanta is another team with questions at quarterback, as rookie third-rounder Desmond Ridder flashed at times at the end of the season. He’s not a lock to be the Week 1 starter, though I expect the organization to do deep evaluations on this draft class and bring in another player to compete with him. For now, however, Murphy is too good to pass up.”

The Falcons picked two edge rushers in the first three rounds of last year’s draft, and while Arnold Ebiketie was efficient at times, he alone is not enough to move the needle on the Falcons’ defense. According to Pro Football Focus, Atlanta’s pass rush graded out as the second-worst in the league, just above the Bears with a 54.1.

Adding an edge rusher has been the popular choice for Atlanta in early mock drafts, but don’t rule out a quarterback or offensive lineman. Expect to see just about everything by the time we get to the draft in April.