Who Are Experts Predicting to Atlanta Falcons in 1st Round of NFL Draft?

During the weeks leading up to the NFL draft, every NFL fan is glued to the mock drafts and want to see who the experts are projecting. Atlanta Falcons fans are no different, and a cursory overview of the expert picks leads us to believe that four names are going to be in strong consideration for pick No. 8.

The primary experts who will be covered here are some of the biggest names in the industry. Daniel Jeremiah and Charles Davis of NFL Network, Todd McShay and Mel Kiper Jr. of ESPN and Matt Miller of Bleacher Report will all have their picks for Atlanta dissected here.

Daniel Jeremiah, NFL Network

The Pick: Vic Beasley, Edge-Rusher, Clemson

The Reasoning: "Dan Quinn needs an explosive edge-rusher, and Beasley fits the description."

The Falcons' biggest need is at a stand-up defensive end/outside linebacker role called a "Leo." The best fit for them in the draft is Vic Beasley out of Clemson, so this pick just makes all sorts of sense. Beasley would be an instant starter in Atlanta and compares favorably to Bruce Irvin or Von Miller.

Jeremiah has the Falcons passing on Bud Dupree here for Beasley, but Beasley is just a better fit for the new schemes in Atlanta and is a better all-around player. The Falcons would be lucky if he fell into their lap on April 30.

Mel Kiper Jr., ESPN

The Pick: Vic Beasley, Edge Player, Clemson

The Reasoning:

"

No player has risen more on the draft boards of teams across the league coming out of the NFL combine. When you run 4.53 with a 1.59 split, post a vertical of 41 inches and put up a bench press total (35 reps) that's as good as the strongest nose tackles, and at a chiseled 246 pounds -- well, you turn some heads. Thing is, Beasley isn't just an athletic freak because he's been a one-man production line at Clemson, with 44.5 tackles for loss over the last two seasons. He can flat out create disruption and get to the quarterback, and that's exactly what Atlanta needs. The pass rush is desperate for production and Beasley can help soon.

"

In Mel Kiper's mock draft, the Falcons get lucky again and select the best fit for their team. Kiper notes how Beasley wasn't just a one-year wonder or a combine talent, but that he has projectable skills that make him worthy of a pick at No. 8.

The most interesting thing about Kiper's mock is that Beasley is the fourth edge defender taken in the top eight picks. That scenario feels unlikely with the level of talent at quarterback, defensive tackle and wide receiver in the draft.

Todd McShay, ESPN

The Pick: Shane Ray, Edge Player, Missouri

The Reasoning:

"

The Falcons desperately need to upgrade their pass rush, and they'll have several edge rushers from which to choose in this scenario. I have them going with Ray over Vic Beasley, because while both have elite first-step quickness, Ray has better length and is more relentless. The fact that he doesn't show much of a power element to his game on tape is a bit concerning, but he fills a need here. One thing to keep in mind, if Dante Fowler Jr. is available at this spot: New Falcons head coach Dan Quinn coached Fowler while at Florida in 2012.

"

After Mel Kiper gets the pick so right, his ESPN cohort gets the pick so horribly wrong. This isn't to say that Shane Ray is a bad football player, but he's not worth the No. 8 overall pick in this year's draft. He's closer to the profile of a mid-second round pick, and his lateral athleticism doesn't say first-rounder.

The fact that McShay has the Falcons passing on Vic Beasley makes even less sense. Sometimes, mock drafts are amazing, and the picks fit the teams properly, but at other times, the picks are "Here's a need. Here's my top player at the need." This looks like the latter situation.

Matt Miller, Bleacher Report

The Pick: Randy Gregory, Edge Player, Nebraska

The Reasoning:

"

Randy Gregory might not seem like a fit in the 4-3 defense the Atlanta Falcons are running, but look at head coach Dan Quinn's defenses in Seattle and you'll see Cliff Avril and Bruce Irvin. Gregory can fill that edge-rusher role for Atlanta by playing both defensive end and linebacker in the Falcons' scheme.

Gregory can play outside linebacker or defensive end and has rare agility and movement skills in space. He dominated at a low weight at Nebraska, and while he may never be a true 4-3 defensive end, the Falcons don't need him to be. They need him to be an attacking, aggressive, athletic edge-rusher, which he is.

"

With Atlanta missing out on Dante Fowler Jr. and Vic Beasley in this situation, the pick of Randy Gregory makes a ton of sense. He has some off-field issues that he'll need to work through and will have to gain some weight, but as the "Leo" pass-rusher, he could do a lot of damage for Atlanta.

Gregory will bring back memories of John Abraham to a lot of Falcons fans. His long build, attacking style and ability to bend the edge are crucial to success at the position. Atlanta could do way worse than Gregory, and Matt Miller knocks this one out of the park.

Charles Davis, NFL Network

The Pick: Todd Gurley, Running Back, Georgia

The Reasoning: "Surprise! Expected choice of a much-needed edge-rusher doesn’t materialize. When Falcons were at their recent best, Michael Turner ate carries and the offense rolled."

In this situation, Davis has Dante Fowler Jr., Vic Beasley, Shane Ray and Randy Gregory all going off the board before the Falcons pick. However, it's tough to see the Falcons take a running back when a better player who fits a bigger need is available in Bud Dupree out of Kentucky.

Todd Gurley is a great player, but he's not worth the pick when taking into account the ACL injury. Never in the history of the NFL has a team taken a running back coming off an ACL injury in the top 10 picks of the draft. Atlanta will probably not be the first.

All stats used are either from Pro Football Focus' Premium Stats, ESPN, CFBStats or the NFL. All combine and pro day info is courtesy NFL Draft Scout. 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, NFL and the NFL draft. He's also a Draft Analyst for Pro Football Spot.

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