The Atlanta Falcons selected UCLA Bruins defensive end Takkarist McKinley at No. 26 in the 2017 NFL Draft. Here is the Falcons’ first-round grade.
There were rumors circulating that Atlanta Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff would move up from No. 31 in the 2017 NFL Draft. He and Falcons head coach Dan Quinn were able to orchestrate a trade to move up to No. 26 to draft UCLA Bruins defensive end Takkarist McKinley.
Atlanta has one of the deepest rosters in football, but could still use a defensive end to pair alongside All-Pro Vic Beasley. McKinley is raw, but offers a great energy and upside coming off the edge.
His primary recruiter to UCLA is Falcons linebackers coach Jeff Ulbrich, so Atlanta knew the type of kid they would be getting out of UCLA in McKinley. Atlanta has the right staff in place to get the most out of its defensive line talent. McKinley will need some time to flourish for the Falcons, but he looks to be in good hands by going to Atlanta late in the first-round.
The only other position group that the Falcons could have after in the first round would have been offensive guard. Western Kentucky Hilltoppers’ Forrest Lamp would have been a good pick at No. 26, or at No. 31 had Atlanta stayed put. However, Atlanta clearly tagged McKinley very early in the process.
Dimitroff has had great success trading up since being the Falcons general manager for the last decade. He moved up to No. 6 draft Julio Jones out of Alabama with a trade with the Cleveland Browns in 2011. In 2013, Dimitroff moved up to draft Desmond Trufant out of Washington with a trade with the then St. Louis Rams.
Next: 2017 NFL Draft: Instant grades
Maybe McKinley makes this a trifecta for the Falcons in the first-round? All it took was No. 31, the Falcons’ third round pick and a seventh-round pick.