Falcons 2-Round 2025 Mock Draft: Atlanta Goes Defense in The Athletic's Projections
The Atlanta Falcons are in need of a defensive overhaul -- and with limited cap space and only five picks in the 2025 NFL Draft, Atlanta has to maximize its resource allocation to do so.
Falcons general manager Terry Fontenot has been criticized for a relative lack of production from his draft classes, capped by a 2024 class that saw only quarterback Michael Penix Jr. earn starts as a rookie.
Fontenot, who's drafted offensive players in the first round in each of his four drafts, may have to flip the switch in 2025 -- and he's projected to do exactly that in The Athletic draft writer Dane Brugler's two-round mock published Wednesday.
The Falcons own the No. 15 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, and Brugler has Atlanta selecting Texas A&M defensive lineman Shemar Stewart.
"It will be fascinating to see how early Stewart goes on draft night," Brugler wrote. "His production this season (5.5 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks in 12 games) was underwhelming, but NFL teams don’t draft stats — they draft traits.
"And Stewart has exceptional length and athletic tools for a player who’s 6-foot-6 and 285 pounds."
With his size, length and athleticism, Stewart has the versatility to play up and down the line of scrimmage, and while his raw numbers weren't gaudy, he proved to be disruptive. The 21-year-old registered 25 hurries and 30 total pressures, according to Pro Football Focus.
Atlanta has the No. 46 overall pick in the second round, and Brugler has the Falcons selecting University of Texas defensive back Jahdae Barron. A fifth-year senior, Barron finished tied for fourth in the FBS this season with five interceptions.
"Barron might not be elite, by NFL standards, in terms of size and speed — 5-foot-11, 194 pounds and expected to run a 40-yard dash in the 4.45- to 4.50-second range," Brugler wrote in mid-October. "But his football IQ and controlled reactions stand out on tape.
Falcons head coach Raheem Morris worked with Texas coach Steve Sarkisian in Atlanta from 2017-18, and the two remain friends. Perhaps Morris selects a versatile chess piece straight from Sarkisian's program to help elevate a defense desperate for improvement.