NFL Draft: Falcons to Meet with Alabama's Dallas Turner - No. 8 Pick?

Alabama pass rusher Dallas Turner is meeting with the Atlanta Falcons. Could he be the No. 8 overall pick?

The Atlanta Falcons have the No. 8 pick in the NFL Draft for the third straight season and will face pressure to nail this pick, considering just how close they’ve come to making the playoffs in recent years, but who will they invest it into?

NFL Network insider Tom Pelissero is reporting that the Falcons are slated to meet with Alabama pass rusher Dallas Turner, who many have linked to Atlanta.

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In 2023, Atlanta's defense often kept the team in games while quarterback play struggled, but unlike the secondary, which featured All-Pro players Jessie Bates III and A.J. Terrell, there wasn't a star on the defensive line.

The Falcons front seven's 30.9 percent pass rush win rate was the worst in the NFL, and the team's sack leaders Calais Campbell (37) and Bud Dupree (30) aren't getting any younger.

"This is a front seven that needs an injection of youth," ESPN writes. "With Turner, they'd get the best edge defender in this class, a 242-pound outside linebacker who had 22.5 sacks over three college seasons. He ranked eighth in the FBS with a 16.7% pressure rate in 2023.”

Alabama has a history of sending elite defenders into the NFL. Turner could be one of the final elite prospects to have been developed by legendary college football coach Nick Saban, who announced his retirement this offseason. 

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If Turner can follow in the footsteps of fellow Bama alumni Will Anderson Jr., who just got promoted onto the Pro Bowl roster, putting the cherry on top of his stellar rookie campaign where he had 49 tackles, eight sacks, 12 tackles for loss, and 24 quarterback hits in 16 games between the regular season and playoffs.

Anderson helped elevate the Houston Texans defense and lead the franchise back to the playoffs for the first time in four seasons. If Turner can be the next Will Anderson in Atlanta and help turn around the Falcons and finally make the playoffs for the first time since 2017, every fan will celebrate this draft pick.