NFL mock draft: Conference championship edition

17 of 31

Nov 7, 2015; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish linebacker Jaylon Smith (9) puts on the hat of the Fighting Irish leprechaun mascot after defeating the Pittsburgh Panthers at Heinz Field. Notre Dame won 42-30. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports /

. LB. Notre Dame. Jaylon Smith. 17. player. 44

In 2015, the Atlanta Falcons found a pass rush by selecting defensive end Vic Beasley out of Clemson in the first round. A year removed from being a poor defensive line the addition of Beasley seemed to reinvigorate the entire line.

While they still have a lot of improving to do on defense, they take a huge step towards becoming a complete defense by taking the incredibly gifted linebacker Jaylon Smith from Notre Dame.

The 6-foot-2, 235-pound linebacker could add some weight and find himself as a talented middle linebacker, or the Falcons may like him playing at this weight due to his incredible speed and prefer to put him on the outside at his current weight.

The brother of Dallas running back Rod Smith, Jaylon recorded 111 tackles in 2014 and 115 in 2015, with nine tackles for a loss in each of those seasons.

With the offensive fireworks provided by receiver Julio Jones and running back Devonta Freeman, Smith helps to make Atlanta a more dangerous, powerful team as their defense improves simply by him walking onto the field. He will be coming off a late-season leg injury, but Smith is undeniably a first-round talent. The Falcons get a steal here.

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