ESPN Ponders NFL Draft Day Surprise for Atlanta Falcons

ESPN lists the Atlanta Falcons as one of three teams who could make a surprising move in the first round of the NFL Draft.

Alabama's Dallas Turner hits LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels / Gary Cosby Jr.-USA TODAY Sports

The NFL Draft is less than a week away, and the Atlanta Falcons have the No. 8 pick and a lot of options ahead of them.

ESPN reporters Matt Miller, Jordan Reid, and Field Yates compiled a column on ESPN+ that included first-round surprises in the NFL Draft, and Yates picked the Falcons... sort of.

Yates picked Atlanta based on what they might not do.

"Outside of the three quarterbacks at the top of the draft, I'd venture to guess that no player has been mocked to a specific team as frequently as Dallas Turner has been paired with the Falcons," wrote Yates on ESPN+. "So with that in mind, anything but Turner to Atlanta at No. 8 would qualify as a surprise.

"The fit makes too much sense for me to discount it, factoring in Turner's traits and the Falcons' massive need. But there are other options Atlanta could reasonably consider at that spot, including cornerback or wide receiver depending on how the board falls."

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With the possibility of four quarterbacks going in the first-seven picks, the Falcons could find themselves with a tough choice at No. 8. Yates mentioned wide receiver and cornerback, but edge rusher Jared Verse of Florida State is and option, and offensive tackle Joe Alt of Notre Dame could fall to eight.

The Falcons taking Alt would ruffle some feathers in Atlanta, but Jake Matthews is 32 and Kaleb McGary has proven to be a liability in pass protection. If the Falcons grade Alt significantly higher than any of the available-defensive players, an argument can be made for offensive tackle.

However, the Falcons doubled their sack total from 2022 to 2023 and still managed to finish 21st with 42 sacks and dead last in pass-rush-win rate according to ESPN.

READ MORE: Atlanta Falcons Biggest Needs in the NFL Draft

The Falcons may like Verse or UCLA's Laitu Latu better than Turner, but yes, it would be a surprise if Atlanta doesn't have a new edge rusher on the books next Thursday night.

Atlanta Falcons Draft Picks:
1st Round, No. 8
2nd Round, No. 43
3rd Round, No. 74
3rd Round, No. 79 (from Jacksonville)
4th Round, No. 109
5th Round, No. 143
6th Round, No. 187
6th Round, No. 197 (from Cleveland)