2019 NFL Draft: Atlanta Falcons 7-round mock

The Falcons had their Super Bowl dreams dashed due to injury in 2018. A good draft could get Dan Quinn’s team right back into contention.

There may not be a team that missed the playoffs last season better suited to return to the postseason in 2019 than the Atlanta Falcons. Injuries ravaged coach Dan Quinn’s defense last season, but there’s reason to believe the until will enjoy better health next season. The offense, led by Matt Ryan and Julio Jones, is still one of the most dangerous in the NFL.

That doesn’t mean the roster is perfect. The Falcons still have some notable holes to fill this offseason. General manager Thomas Dimitroff and company will look to fill most of their vacancies via the draft. Fortunately for the Falcons, they have one selection in each round to work with.

Typically, the franchise focuses on taking the best player available. We expect them to follow that blueprint this year, but their needs to match up well with this class’ strengths. Let’s dive into what we expect the Falcons to do in this year’s draft.

Round 1: Greedy Williams

All of the offensive weapons the Falcons have makes it easy to forget that at his core, Quinn is a defensive coach. He definitely understands the need to improve his team’s talent level on that side of the ball.

Most mock drafts have the Falcons targeting a defensive tackle in Round 1, but we think cornerback is just as big of a need. Robert Alford is very likely going to be a salary cap casualty, which leaves a giant hole at the position. Greedy Williams might not be available when Atlanta is on the clock, but he should be an easy choice if he’s still available at No. 14.

There are legitimate questions about his tackling, but there’s no doubt about his ability to cover elite wide receivers. The LSU defensive back has a combination of size and speed that just doesn’t come along every day. Drafting a potential Pro Bowl corner in the first round would be a solid move for the Falcons.