Atlanta Falcons full 2020 NFL mock draft

Third Round

Even if the Falcons added Todd Gurley in free agency, he’s only coming to the Falcons on a one-year deal. Atlanta may have other quality running backs backing him up in Ito Smith, Brian Hill and Qadree Ollison among others, but Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff said the Dirty Birds wouldn’t be opposed to adding another back to the backfield, especially if he has some speed.

One player who could be available to them at No. 78 in the third round would be LSU Tigers running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire. Technically, Wisconsin Badgers running back Jonathan Taylor could fall to the third round, but No. 78 is right about where Edwards-Helaire will come off the board. Georgia’s D’Andre Swift and Ohio State’s J.K. Dobbins will be long gone by this point.

Edwards-Helaire is 5-foot-8 and 209 pounds. He was First-Team All-SEC during 2019, as he helped the Bayou Bengals win their fourth national championship in school history. Playing alongside Heisman Trophy winner Joe Burrow, Edwards-Helaire rushed for 1,414 yards on 215 carries for 16 touchdowns. He also had 55 catches for 453 yards and a touchdown as a receiver.

At the professional level, it remains to be seen if Edwards-Helaire is a bell-cow back. Guys at LSU before him like Leonard Fournette and Derrius Guice have had mixed reviews in their professional careers, but Edwards-Helaire would not be expected to be a starter in year one in Atlanta. Backing up Gurley and competing with Smith, Hill and Ollison could bring out the best in him.