Atlanta Falcons' Round 1 Big Board Before Combine
With just a few major needs and quite a few minor ones, the Atlanta Falcons' big board will look very similar to a top defensive ends and pass-rushers list for the draft. Luckily, the 2015 draft is loaded with pass-rushers at the top of the draft.
There are a couple of other options as well. Those players fit other subsurface needs that could help the Falcons take the next step. Offensive linemen, wide receivers and defensive tackles aren't ideal needs for Atlanta, but if the value is there and not at edge-rusher, the Falcons should capitalize.
1. DE Dante Fowler, Florida
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The Falcons' biggest need by far is at pass-rusher. So why not take the best pass-rusher in the draft if he falls to No. 8 overall? Dante Fowler out of Florida is a monster along the front and has experience in a scheme similar to what Dan Quinn will run in Atlanta.
Fowler can easily start in the same role that Michael Bennett played in Seattle this past season. He'd be the strong-side end who could align inside at defensive tackle, at linebacker in the nickel or even as a standing blitzing interior linebacker.
Ideally, he will be the premier defensive edge pass-rusher the Falcons have been missing for a couple of seasons. He may not be a 10-sack guy as a rookie, but he should be able to have his numbers explode with more and more experience and development.
Fowler is chaos. Quinn just needs to control that chaos.
2. DE Bud Dupree, Kentucky
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As said before, Atlanta needs a pass-rusher. Bud Dupree happens to be the second-best pass-rusher in the draft this year. He's not as physical or violent as Dante Fowler, but he provides the same kind of versatility that Bruce Irvin did in Seattle.
Dupree's speed may not make him an ideal base defensive end, but in pass-rushing sets, the Falcons could use him and develop him into that primary-down defensive end. Dupree has good size and length, but his speed is where he really excels.
Long term, his best role would be one that maximizes him as either a strong-side linebacker or LEO in base sets. Then put him as a primary pass-rusher off the edge like Irvin—pinning his ears back and heading for the QB on third downs.
3. EDGE Vic Beasley, Clemson
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Atlanta doesn't have an ideal starter for strong-side linebacker in the Dan Quinn scheme right now. It has just Joplo Bartu and Prince Shembo as the only realistic options under contract there. Neither one of them should be a starter in 2015.
Enter Vic Beasley, who has Von Miller-type potential as a linebacker/defensive end and could be the instant starter as a strong-side linebacker. He would be able to play the majority of his snaps at linebacker, but in passing situations, he'd drop down to the edge-rushing role.
Atlanta would be able to maximize Beasley for the long term in this role and would be able to get anywhere from eight to 12 sacks every season out of the Clemson Tiger. The only real question concerning Beasley is his weight, but that didn't stop Quinn from utilizing an undersized Bruce Irvin in similar fashion.
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4. DE Randy Gregory, Nebraska
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The Falcons need a base weak-side defensive end just as much as they need the strong-side end—LEO—or strong-side linebacker/edge-rusher mixed role. Randy Gregory would be an instant starter at that spot, and he has a ceiling nearing the Simeon Rice or John Abraham range.
He's got great length and edge-rushing talent when he's on, and he can maintain leverage. However, when he's off or his motor is running cold, he can be a detriment to his team. He also isn't an ideal run-stuffer off the edge, as he'll let linemen get into his pads easily sometimes.
If Gregory can improve in his pad level and improve conditioning to help his motor, he could reach his ultimate potential. Atlanta would be a great fit for him schematically, as he wouldn't play anything more than the 4-3 end role that he played in college, and the transition should be much smoother.
5. LB Shaq Thompson, Washington
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When Sean Weatherspoon went down, the Falcons lacked team speed at linebacker to effectively combat tight ends and running backs in the passing game. They needed someone who could be that effective complement to Paul Worrilow in the linebacking corps.
Shaq Thompson is an ideal weak-side linebacker for Dan Quinn's scheme and could look like Thomas Davis in the role. Combining him with Worrilow and a strong-side linebacker in Weatherspoon could give the Falcons three linebackers who deserve to be starters in the NFL and truly shore up the unit.
Ideally, the Falcons can keep Weatherspoon, Worrilow and Thompson together for a couple of years while they develop into an efficient trio on the interior of the defense. And with Thompson's range, the Falcons could shift from 4-3 to a 4-2-5 nickel very easily, depending on the alignment.
6. DL Leonard Williams, Southern Cal
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Leonard Williams is ideally a defensive tackle in the 4-3. For Atlanta, he wouldn't be an excellent fit right away, as it would have Paul Soliai, Ra'Shede Hageman, Tyson Jackson and Jonathan Babineaux as its initial interior rotation pending any cuts.
Drafting Williams would allow the Falcons to kick Jackson out to the 5-technique base defensive end or cut him and have Williams and Babineaux rotate at the 3-technique under the tackle spot. It would also make a rotation of Hageman and Soliai at 1-technique nose tackle fit even better.
Long term, Hageman at 1-technique and Williams at 3-technique would give the Falcons a Marcus Stroud/John Henderson-type of interior pairing of tall, explosive athletes who can rush the passer and stuff the run. Williams could emulate Gerald McCoy, while Hageman emulates a taller Brandon Mebane.
7. WR Amari Cooper, Alabama
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Atlanta is missing explosion from its second wide receiver spot. Roddy White is getting older and looking more like a No. 3 in the offense, an Anquan Boldin-type role. That means Harry Douglas might be worth letting go for a bigger option. But first, you need a good No. 2 to replace White as a starter.
Enter the explosive Alabama receiver Amari Cooper. He compares favorably to Marvin Harrison as an explosive deep option who runs excellent routes underneath and has great hands. He played with subpar quarterbacks in college at Alabama and could be an even better pro.
Ideally, he and Julio Jones would make up one of the best combinations in the NFL and give Matt Ryan amazing receivers to chuck it to. However, this pick shouldn't be made unless each of the top six options are gone and the Falcons sign a pair of pass-rushers in free agency.
8. OL T.J. Clemmings, Pittsburgh
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The Falcons don't really need an offensive tackle, but with T.J. Clemmings having massive punch and great quickness off the line, he is worth a pick in the top 10. Clemmings ideally doesn't play tackle for the Falcons. With Jake Matthews at left tackle and Ryan Schraeder at right tackle, Atlanta is in need of guard help.
And at guard, Clemmings fits the Falcons scheme much more effectively. The Falcons could take Clemmings and then cut Justin Blalock—who doesn't ideally fit the zone-blocking scheme. Clemmings could then take his monstrous 6'5", 310-pound frame and become a Pro Bowl guard for the Falcons.
Putting Joe Hawley and Matthews around Clemmings would allow him to harness his nastiness on the inside in an ideal role. A long-term group of Matthews, Clemmings, Hawley, Schraeder and Jon Asamoah could effectively protect Matt Ryan, as well as play productively in the zone-blocking scheme.
All stats used are either from Pro Football Focus' Premium Stats, ESPN.com, CFBStats.com or the 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.
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