Falcon Report

Atlanta Falcons Solidify Secondary in Daniel Jeremiah's Third NFL Mock Draft

NFL.com's Daniel Jeremiah released his NFL Mock Draft 3.0, and he has the Atlanta Falcons shoring up the secondary with Michigan's Will Johnson.

Scott Kennedy

Former Michigan Wolverines All-American Will Johnson is headed to the Atlanta Falcons in Daniel Jeremiah's latest NFL mock draft.
Former Michigan Wolverines All-American Will Johnson is headed to the Atlanta Falcons in Daniel Jeremiah's latest NFL mock draft. / Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
In this story:

The first round of NFL free agency is over, and the Atlanta Falcons have made some moves to address their front seven including signing 32-year-old edge rusher Leonard Floyd. That's not to say they are done getting help up front in the draft, but they still need help in the secondary as well.

Atlanta re-signed starting cornerback Mike Hughes, but his three-year, $18-million contract, with only half of that guaranteed, speaks to his value as depth piece. For example, Derek Stingley Jr. just signed a three-year, $90-millon deal with $63-million guaranteed.

Hughes's is good value, but like Floyd at edge rusher, he's not going to stop the Falcons from drafting a cornerback in the first round if they fall in love one over the available pass rushers.

The Falcons Podcast :Spotify | Apple Pods | iHeart

NFL.com's Daniel Jeremiah thinks former Michigan Wolverines All-American cornerback Will Johnson could be that guy. In the third version of his NFL mock draft, Jeremiah has the Falcons bypassing edge rushers Mike Green of Marshall, Donovan Ezeiruaku of Boston College, Mykel Williams of Georgia, and defensive end Shemar Stewart of Texas A&M in favor of Johnson.

"While some inconsistencies popped up in Johnson’s 2024 tape, it’s hard to find big, rangy corners with his ball skills," wrote Jeremiah on the Falcons' pick at 15.

Johnson measured 6-foot-2 and 194 pounds at the NFL Combine last month but did not do athletic testing. He had nine interceptions in three seasons at Michigan. His pro day is scheduled for Friday, March 21st, and it's a good bet there will be some Falcons' personnel on hand.

NFL.com's Lance Zierlein comps Johnson to the Carolina Panthers' Jaycee Horn who just signed a four-year, $100-million contract.

"He can play man coverage, but he’s at his best when playing with his eyes forward instead of chasing routes downfield," Zierlein wrote of Johnson. "Johnson displays good pre-snap recognition and can read and anticipate routes/throws at a high level. While he plays the role of thief in coverage, he needs to balance that mentality with a healthy respect for NFL route-runners, as he might lack the recovery speed to close the distance at a desired rate."

Johnson isn't the only player the Falcons could consider from Ann Arbor. Defensive tackle Mason Graham is likely to be long gone by the time Atlanta is on the board, but fellow defensive tackle Kenneth Grant could be available. Grant is a 6-foot-3 and 330-pound disrupter on the defensive line.

For the most part, the needs the Falcons had before free agency are the needs the Falcons still have after free agency. Edge, defensive tackle, cornerback, and safety. The lone exception might be linebacker. Divine Deablo's acquisition pushes the need for another linebacker this offseason to the back burner.

Ideally, Atlanta would like to move back a bit in the first round and pick up another Day 2 pick to address one of their multiple needs on defense. If they stay at 15 though, pairing Johnson with Terrell for the forseeable future makes a lot of se

Published
Scott Kennedy
SCOTT KENNEDY

Home/News