2015 Atlanta Falcons Mock Draft: Early Offseason 7-Round Predictions

With the Atlanta Falcons season ending and a new coaching staff coming in, a burning question becomes what the Falcons need to address in the draft despite the uncertainty in both the front office and coaching staff. 

The needs remain the same, though. The Falcons need a young pass-rusher or two to groom. They need a tight end to help Matt Ryan on intermediate routes. They need some offensive line depth and a coverage linebacker. And they also need a power running back to team with Devonta Freeman.

Round 1 (No. 8 Overall): DE/OLB Bud Dupree, Kentucky

6'4", 264 pounds

Senior

Atlanta's absolute biggest need is at defensive end or outside linebacker depending on what scheme is run. The great thing about a guy like Alvin "Bud" Dupree out of Kentucky is that he can play in either scheme and be effective. He has the length, strength and burst to create pressure as a 4-3 defensive end.

He has the agility, change of direction and raw speed to be effective as a 3-4 outside linebacker. The question mark is his coverage ability at linebacker. But with the right coordinator, he'll attack downhill every play.

Atlanta could use Dupree in a variety of ways, but ideally, if the Falcons move to a 3-4 like their personnel suggest that they should, he could be an ideal strong-outside linebacker in base sets and nickel defensive end in four-man fronts. He has the frame to set the edge against the run and the overall talent to destroy right tackles as a pass-rusher.

Stats

2014: 12 Games Played, 74 Tackles, 12.5 Tackles for Loss, 7.5 Sacks, 5 QB Hurries, 1 Interception, 2 Fumbles Forced, 1 Pass Deflection, 1 Blocked Kick, 1 Defensive Touchdown

2013: 11 Games Played, 61 Tackles, 9.5 Tackles for Loss, 7.0 Sacks, 3 QB Hurries, 2 Fumbles Forced, 1 Pass Deflection

2012: 12 Games Played, 91 Tackles, 12.5 Tackles for Loss, 6.5 Sacks, 1 Pass Deflection

2011: 12 Games Played, 21 Tackles, 2.5 Tackles for Loss, 2.5 Sacks, 1 QB Hurry, 2 Pass Deflections, 1 Blocked Kick

Round 2 (No. 42 Overall): TE Maxx Williams, Minnesota

6'4", 250 pounds

Redshirt Sophomore

Tony Gonzalez's retirement completely destroyed the Falcons' production from their tight end position. Not only did they see a combined decrease of 61 catches, 674 yards and seven touchdowns with the loss of Gonzalez, but the run blocking got worse from the position with Levine Toilolo starting.

With Toilolo looking closer to the next Leonard Pope instead of the next Jimmy Graham, the Falcons have a huge need at tight end. Maxx Williams declared for the draft as just a redshirt sophomore, but he has all the tools the Falcons could use. He compares favorably to a younger, more athletic Jason Witten than any other player.

He's a great drive blocker, as seen in the video above. He locks onto his man and kicks him off the ball quickly. The Falcons could use him to help seal the outside on runs. But more than that, he has great body control and hands when he goes out to catch passes. He understands how to keep his feet in bounds on sideline and end-zone passes while also running quick, efficient routes.

Stats

2014: 12 Games Played, 36 Catches, 569 Yards, 8 Touchdowns, 1 Tackle

2013: 13 Games Played, 25 Catches, 417 Yards, 5 Touchdowns, 1 Carry, 7 Yards, 2 Kick Returns, 29 Yards, 2 Tackles

2012: Redshirted

Round 3 (No. 73 Overall): RB Duke Johnson, Miami

5'9", 206 pounds

Junior

The Falcons running backs in 2014 gained a total of 1,316 yards. That's a far cry from a group that was gaining between 1,700 to 2,300 yards every year from 2008 to 2011. The Falcons need to return to having running backs who can—at least as a committee—gain 1,700 to 2,300 yards again.

They already have one solid piece in Devonta Freeman as a change-of-pace back, but they need a featured guy and a power guy. They could kill two birds if they decided to take someone like Todd Gurley higher, but the resources would be better spent later.

This is when "later" would be. Duke Johnson out of Miami could easily be that all-around back who is also a workhorse in the running game that the Falcons need. He can run with power and speed. He has great vision and has shown that he can create in the passing game on routes out of the backfield. As with most backs, the only real question about Johnson comes from his pass protection.

Stats

2014: 13 Games Played, 242 Carries, 1,652 Yards, 10 Touchdowns, 38 Catches, 421 Yards, 3 Touchdowns

2013: 8 Games Played, 145 Carries, 920 Yards, 6 Touchdowns, 4 Catches, 77 Yards, 14 Kick Returns, 396 Yards

2012: 12 Games Played, 139 Carries, 947 Yards, 10 Touchdowns, 27 Catches, 221 Yards, 1 Touchdown, 27 Kick Returns, 892 Yards, 2 Touchdowns

Round 4 (No. 8 Overall): LB Jake Ryan, Michigan

6'3", 236 pounds

Redshirt Senior

Coverage from the linebacking corps in 2014 was atrocious and needs to be at the top of the list of things to fix in 2015. However, free agency would be the best way to address this if the Falcons could keep Sean Weatherspoon on a prove-it style deal while also bringing in someone like Bruce Carter.

And while they might have some solid depth at coverage linebacker with Marquis Spruill, he suffered an ACL injury in 2014 and should have some competition. That's where Jake Ryan from Michigan comes in. He's solid as a coverage linebacker but also understands how to play the run effectively.

He sheds blocks well and is one of the most cerebral players in college right now. His issues come from his lack of weight and inability to create off the blitz. Ideally, he'd be paired with a linebacker who understands how to get after the quarterback on third downs so that he could drop into coverage.

Stats

2014: 12 Games Played, 112 Tackles, 14.0 Tackles for Loss, 2.0 Sacks, 5 QB Hurries, 1 Interception, 2 Fumbles Forced, 3 Pass Deflections

2013: 8 Games Played, 30 Tackles, 4.5 Tackles for Loss, 2 QB Hurries, 1 Pass Deflection

2012: 13 Games Played, 88 Tackles, 16.5 Tackles for Loss, 5.0 Sacks, 2 QB Hurries, 5 Fumbles Forced, 3 Pass Deflections

2011: 13 Games Played, 37 Tackles, 11.0 Tackles for Loss, 3.0 Sacks, 1 Fumble Forced

2010: Redshirted

Round 5 (No. 136 Overall): OG Miles Dieffenbach, Penn State

Gene J. Puskar/Associated Press

6'3", 303 pounds

Redshirt Senior

Justin Blalock is 31 years old, and despite being the best offensive lineman for the Falcons in 2013 and 2014, he still is an aging player who is starting to battle injuries more than he used to. Luckily for the Falcons, he has missed just three games during his eight-year career.

But with a new coach coming in and a potential shift to a zone scheme, the Falcons would be wise to invest in an all-around guard who fits that scheme. Miles Diffenbach from Penn State fits that scheme almost to a T, as he's a smaller guard who is still quick in short areas and can pull.

His experience in the Big Ten will definitely help him, as he would transition to the pros due to the multitude of excellent pro-ready defensive tackles in the conference. He's not ready to start this coming year, but he could develop after a season into a great zone blocking left guard who is talented in pass protection—basically, an ideal eventual replacement for Blalock.

Stats

2014: 13 Games Started at Left Guard

2013: 12 Games Started at Left Guard

2012: 11 Games Started at Left Guard

2011: Backed up the entire season and received no playing time.

2010: Redshirted

Round 6 (No. 169 Overall): WR Phillip Dorsett, Miami

5'10", 195 pounds

Senior

With Julio Jones, Roddy White, Harry Douglas and Devin Hester, wide receiver doesn't look like a true need. However, the Falcons need to realize that White, Douglas and Hester are all over 30 years old and won't be around forever. Bringing in a speed receiver to learn from them and compete for a role in the future would be a good idea.

Phillip Dorsett out of Miami might be one of the best possible options for the Falcons this coming season, as he's an athletic talent who catches well. On the downside, he doesn't run clean routes and needs to learn how to get better with his run blocking. Dorsett is still a smart football player who has experience both outside and in the slot and can create separation easily.

His best asset comes from his ability to create yards after the catch. Assuming the Falcons go with either Josh McDaniels or Rex Ryan at head coach, more West Coast concepts like slants and posts will be entering the offense once again, and Dorsett could thrive in those. He may even be able to sneak in some playing time should White, Douglas or Hester get banged up for a few games in 2014.

Stats

2014: 13 Games Played, 36 Catches, 871 Yards, 10 Touchdowns, 2 Carries, -6 Yards, 1 Punt Return, -6 Yards, 8 Kick Returns, 116 Yards, 3 Tackles

2013: 8 Games Played, 13 Catches, 272 Yards, 2 Touchdowns, 9 Punt Returns, 57 Yards, 2 Kick Returns, 28 Yards, 1 Tackle

2012: 12 Games Played, 58 Catches, 842 Yards, 4 Touchdowns, 5 Carries, 8 Yards, 2-of-2 Passing (100.0 Percent), 26 Yards, 15 Punt Returns, 85 Yards, 11 Kick Returns, 251 Yards

2011: 12 Games Played, 14 Catches, 147 Yards, 1 Touchdown, 1-of-1 Passing (100.0 Percent), 16 Yards, 1 Touchdown, 4 Kick Returns, 82 Yards, 2 Tackles

Round 7 (No. 200 Overall): CB Justin Coleman, Tennessee

5'10", 188 pounds

Senior

Atlanta has just Desmond Trufant, Robert Alford and Ricardo Allen under contract for the 2015 season. The team needs to add some depth and competition through the draft and free agency for the nickel role next to Alford and Trufant, who are definitely the starters.

Allen looked like a bit of a project during the 2014 season, but he should be ready to compete for a role in 2015 as the nickel. However, his competition needs to be more than just air. That's where Justin Coleman comes in. As a former nickel and outside cornerback for the Volunteers, he can vie with Allen for a role within the defense.

He could also prove to be a solid injury replacement should Alford or Trufant get hurt throughout the year on the outside. He has shown an ability to make plays on the ball and has good closing speed to go with it. Ideally, the Falcons will sign someone in free agency to compete as well.

Stats

2014: 13 Games Played, 42 Tackles, 4.0 Tackles for Loss, 2 QB Hurries, 4 Interceptions, 5 Pass Deflections

2013: 12 Games Played, 46 Tackles, 1.0 Tackle for Loss, 1 Interception, 7 Pass Deflections, 1 Defensive Touchdown 

2012: 12 Games Played, 59 Tackles, 3.5 Tackles for Loss, 3 Pass Deflections

2011: 12 Games Played, 10 Tackles, 2 Pass Deflections

Round 7 (No. 202 Overall): RB Synjyn Days, Georgia Tech

6'2", 231 pounds

Redshirt Senior

The best rushing attacks in today's NFL don't rely on just one or two running backs to shoulder the load. They tend to have multiple guys who work within a tandem or a trio with one lead back. The Falcons need to hit on a lead back.

Duke Johnson—who in this scenario was selected in the third round—and Devonta Freeman are great options for all-around football players. But when it comes to a pure running back similar to what Michael Turner used to be, the best fit is Synjyn Days.

He's reminiscent of Alfred Morris when he was coming out of college—a big, powerful zone-style running back who can find the holes and follows his blocks to near perfection before bursting through the hole. Atlanta needs that in its offense. At worst, Days could be a core special teams player who provides the short-yardage and goal-line beast the Falcons were missing in 2014.

Stats

2014: 14 Games Played, 157 Carries, 924 Yards, 9 Touchdowns, 3 Catches, 33 Yards, 1 Touchdown

2013: 13 Games Played, 27 Carries, 93 Yards, 4 Touchdowns, 4 Catches, 48 Yards

2012: 14 Games Played, 23 Carries, 142 Yards, 1 Touchdown

2011: 6 Games Played, 8-of-12 Passing (66.7 percent), 198 Yards, 48 Carries, 237 Yards, 4 Touchdowns

2010: Redshirted

All stats used are from Pro Football Focus' Premium Stats (subscription required), ESPN.com, CFBStats or NFL.com. All combine and pro day info is courtesy of NFLDraftScout.com. All contract information is courtesy of Spotrac and Rotoworld.

Scott Carasik is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report. He covers the Atlanta Falcons, college football, the NFL and the NFL draft. He also runs DraftFalcons.com.

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