Falcons target the pass rush in Mel Kiper’s latest mock draft

Despite a busy start to free agency, the Falcons still have a multitude of needs on the defensive side of the ball. In Mel Kiper’s latest mock draft for ESPN, Atlanta goes after the biggest need of all: the pass rush.

The Atlanta Falcons were busy at the start of free agency, landing NFL.com’s top free agent in quarterback Kirk Cousins and adding a trio of new receivers in Darnell Mooney, Rondale Moore, and Ray-Ray McCloud. What they haven’t done, outside of a handful of re-signings, is address their defensive weaknesses—of which there are still quite a few.

Atlanta was rumored to be in the mix for former Vikings edge rusher Danielle Hunter, but lost him to the Houston Texans. Since then, the team has been quiet on the defensive side. I doubt the Falcons are done with their additions, but that does leave quite a few holes for the team to fill in the upcoming 2024 NFL Draft.

I’m working on my own post-free agency mock draft (which you’ll be able to enjoy on Friday), but in the meantime we’ve got a fresh mock from the godfather of mock drafts himself: ESPN’s Mel Kiper. In it, Kiper’s got the Falcons targeting arguably their biggest remaining weakness by drafting Alabama edge rusher Dallas Turner with the eighth overall pick:

This is another pairing that makes too much sense. It’s a combo of biggest positional need and best available prospect, as Turner is No. 9 on my Big Board…Turner had 22.5 sacks over three college seasons, and he improved his pressure rates every season. He’s the clear No. 1 edge rusher in this class. New coach Raheem Morris would get the best out of him.

This pick makes a ton of sense from just about every angle. Obviously, edge rusher is the biggest remaining need on the team. Atlanta has a handful of rotational players returning in Lorenzo Carter and Arnold Ebiketie, but that group was nowhere near good enough in 2023. Turner is also a strong fit for the shift back to the 3-4 base that Atlanta will be employing under Raheem Morris and Jimmy Lake.

It’s also good from a value perspective: Turner is in or near the top-10 on just about every draft board, and is currently the consensus top edge rusher in the class. I still have a slight lean towards FSU’s Jared Verse, but I won’t argue with anyone who falls in love with Turner’s traits and ceiling. I had Turner heading to the Falcons in my last mock draft, and here’s what I had to say about his skillset:

We knew Turner was an elite athlete, but seeing the numbers really brings it home: 4.46 40 (99.6th percentile), 1.54 10-yard split (99.2%), 40.5” vertical jump (99.2%), and a 10’7” broad jump (96.9%). Add to that a good weigh-in at nearly 6’3, 247 and with better-than-expected length at 34 3/8” arms and you’ve got a prototypical 3-4 OLB.

Turner has more technical work to do than Verse and Latu and isn’t as reliable against the run at this stage. However, Turner has the superior traits and is a full two years younger than either. He’s got the potential to become an elite EDGE1 in the NFL, but will require a bit more patience and he may need to begin his rookie season as a designated pass rusher. It’s worth noting that Turner is a much better fit in a 3-4 like the Falcons intend to run with Jimmy Lake, so that helps his profile even further. If the Falcons believe in their coaching, they could easily land on Turner as the highest-upside target of the top EDGE prospects.

What do you think about the Falcons potentially drafting Dallas Turner at 8? Who would you target with that pick if you were in Terry Fontenot’s shoes?