Atlanta Falcons Mock Draft Roundup 6.0

Here's my biggest riser of the combine. I had Smith up at No. 5 in my preseason rankings, but I dropped him quite a bit after a torn pectoral muscle limited him to eight games and three sacks in 2022. He's back up to No. 10 overall, though. At 238 pounds, he busted out a 4.39-second 40-yard dash, 41.5 inches in the vertical jump and 10-foot-8 in the broad. That's ridiculous. I love Smith's closing burst to the QB and the way he can create havoc in the backfield as a run defender. If he works on his pass-rush moves and the way he formulates a plan on every snap, he could be a problem off the edge for opposing offensive coordinators.

After 21 sacks, the Falcons need all the pass-rush help they can get. Lorenzo Carter -- who joined Grady Jarrett as the only Atlanta players with at least three sacks last season -- was just re-signed, but this team needs more players who can get pressure off the edge.

As mentioned at the top of this file, I originally had Atlanta trading this pick to Baltimore in exchange for Lamar Jackson, with the Ravens subsequently selecting Kentucky QB Will Levis. But later on Tuesday, after Baltimore placed a non-exclusive franchise tag on Jackson, NFL Network's Peter Schrager reported that Atlanta does not plan to pursue the former league MVP. So, in the wake of my colleague's reporting, I have the Falcons keeping the pick and nabbing a big, versatile edge defender who plays consistent football.

Unless general manager Terry Fontenot and head coach Arthur Smith are absolutely blown away by a quarterback in this class, the Falcons are more than comfortable with the idea of Desmond Ridder as their starter in 2023.

The defensive line will be a priority for Atlanta this offseason, and Wilson has a disruptive package of length, power and quickness.

The self-styled "Cam Jackson" indeed blew up the combine as a bit of a Cam Newton-Lamar Jackson hybrid. At 6-4, 244 pounds, Richardson blazed a 4.43 40 and hit combine quarterback records with a vertical jump of 40½ inches and a broad jump of 10 feet, 9 inches. So though he's lacking in experience (13 starts for the Gators), Richardson's physical tools — to include a bazooka of an arm that was also on full display Saturday — are very likely to land him in the top half of Round 1 ... at the very least. And even though QB Desmond Ridder is coming off his rookie season, Atlanta — owner Arthur Blank had his team in the running for Deshaun Watson last year — will have a prime opportunity to reinvest at the position. Richardson could clearly benefit from a season (or more) to marinate under HC Arthur Smith and work on his accuracy while the less physically gifted Ridder's evaluation continues. But Smith's penchant for extracting the most from his players and the prospect of Richardson eventually joining an offense with several promising youngsters could make him hard to bypass — and perhaps galvanize a city nearly two decades removed from the Michael Vick Experience.

The push is on to be the No. 1 offensive lineman in the draft — Broderick Jones still holds the top spot, but it is getting closer. Scouts love Jones' run blocking and pass blocking.

The Atlanta Falcons continue to miss out on top quarterback prospects, but the organization can't be overly disappointed when landing the top talent at another premium position.

Penn State's Joey Porter Jr. had the NFL world buzzing based purely on how long he is for a cornerback. His 34-inch arms are the length of a starting NFL left tackle (and longer than some of them, too). For comparison, Porter is a half-inch shorter (6'2½") than Ahmad "Sauce" Gardner, yet his arms are a half-inch longer and his hands are bigger. They both have 4.4-second 40-yard-dash speed.

Obviously, measurements are only part of the equation. Gardner went on to be the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year and a first-team All-Pro. Porter has similar capabilities to go along with his length and physicality at the position.

"Porter presents a great blend of length and athleticism that allows him to excel in coverage at the line of scrimmage and downfield," Giddings noted. "He had a very good showing at the NFL combine with his explosiveness by running a 4.46-second 40-yard dash and posting a 10'9" broad jump. Porter can immediately compete for a starting position in the Falcons' secondary while providing size and versatility to the room."

Porter and A.J. Terrell are foundational building blocks to help slow opposing pass games.

So, we now have proof of Wilson's ridiculous wingspan, and everything else checks out from an athletic traits perspective. The Texas A&M alum is still putting his pass-rush plan together, but he still amassed eight sacks, 10 quarterback hits, and 32 quarterback hurries — in just 257 pass-rushing reps. At 6-foot-6 and 271 pounds, Wilson has the speed to bend the edge, and the size and strength to kick inside and bully most blockers. The Falcons need all kinds of pass-rush help, and Wilson certainly provides that.

Grady Jarrett led the Falcons with six sacks last season, and as a team the Falcons generated only 21. That's got to change.

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