Falcon Report

Way Too Early Atlanta Falcons Full-7-Round NFL Mock Draft

The Atlanta Falcons address the pass rush in the first round after standing pat at the NFL Trade Deadline.

Clint Goss

Georgia Bulldogs edge rusher Jalon Walker will be a common target in Atlanta Falcons mock drafts.
Georgia Bulldogs edge rusher Jalon Walker will be a common target in Atlanta Falcons mock drafts. / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
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November 5th, 2024 4:00 P.M. EST has passed - the NFL Trade Deadline is dead & gone. With that? The Falcons’ 53-man roster is locked in (+/- a Practice Squad/Free Agent body) for the year.

Disappointed. Decompressing. Are you talking yourself down? I’m there. Trade deadline talks of the Giants’ EDGE Azeez Ojulari had Falcons media and fans geeked, but this like most trade-deadline rumors, failed to be fruit. 

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Where do the Atlanta Falcons stand heading into the 2025 NFL Draft with their current roster, 6-3 and leading the NFC South? Remember, it’s November. It’s fresh, it’s so close, yet so far. The deadline didn’t have any flavor. 2025 additions will….

Begin.

1st (22) Jalon Walker, Edge, Georgia

  • 6’2, 250
  • Junior, Turns 21 in February
  • My Draft Board: #16 overall prospect / Mid 1st Round Grade

The Falcons don’t have a choice this time: Pass Rusher. Blatantly the worst pass-rush of the last decade, general manager Terry Fontenot and head coach Raheem Morris took heir apparent quarterback Michael Penix Jr. with the 8th pick vs. selecting UCLA edge rusher Laiatu Latu.

Would Penix be the first quarterback taken in 2025? Yes. 

Of the Tier 1 edge rushers: Penn State’s Abdul Carter, UGA’s Mykel Williams, Tennessee’s James Pearce Jr., Texas A&M’s Nic Scourton & Shemar Stewart, and Georgia’s Jalon Walker, one will be there for Atlanta. The edge class is the best position group in this draft along with running back.

A consensus Top 100 recruit, the North Carolina Gatorade Player of the Year Walker was a Top 3 linebacker in the country. A noted breakout candidate, his 4.5 speed recorded 5 sacks in 2023 as a linebacker (led team), but Georgia Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart found his home as a pass-rushing edge rusher this off-season.

"I feel that there was development that I've always needed," Jalon said. "I feel like that time I took learning and being able to be developed by the coaches here has helped a lot. We have great players here. But when an opportunity was presented to me, I definitely had to capitalize on every opportunity that I got." 

Walker “gets it” having known no different as the son of Curtis Walker. His father was a Division II All-American linebacker at Catawba College. 11 seasons as a Defensive Coordinator for Coastal Carolina and Western Carolina grew into Mr. Walker becoming the first Black head football coach at his alma mater.

Being Georgia’s representative on the SEC Leadership Council means something to Walker, "I don't take that lightly," adding "I feel that our standard at the University of Georgia is incredibly long and historic, and I want to keep that torch and flame going. I want to set an example for the younger guys to see what it takes and what you need to do to be a leader."

A great guy off the field, a mean, bad man on it. Walker was the first player in the past 20 seasons to have three sacks and seven tackles against a No. 1-ranked team in the AP. He did it in the FIRST HALF against two projected Round 1 Offensive Tackles, Texas LT Kelvin Banks and RT Cameron Williams on primetime ESPN. 

2nd (56) Barrett Carter, LB, Clemson

  • 6’1, 230
  • Senior, Turned 22 in October
  • My Draft Board: #39 overall prospect / Early-Mid 2nd Round Grade

Dabo Swinney describing #0 Barrett Carter as "one of the best pure football players I've had in 20 years" is true. 190 career tackles, 12 sacks, 17 passes deflected, 3 interceptions, and 2 forced fumbles worth of production over 46 games played and 34 starts from the Suwanee, Ga. native (North Gwinnett) will do it for you.

The main thing Carter has that the current Falcons linebacker room does not? Elite coverage ability and sideline-to-sideline speed. The Falcons have been reported as attending at least one Clemson game this Fall. This is the man. 

4th (123) Cobee Bryant, CB, Kansas

  • 6’, 175
  • Senior, Turned 22 in October
  • My Draft Board: 4th Round 

The Falcons have been reported as attending at least one Kansas game this Fall. This is the man. 2x 1st Team All-Big 12 Kansas CB Cobee Bryant boasts 59 career slot snaps, 141 box snaps, and a staggering 1,745 outside corner snaps.

This play volume is matched with ball production volume - 5 career Pick 6s and 11 INTS in 33 Games Played. HC Raheem Morris has shown through 2023 4th Round pick Clark Phillips III he can maximize a Day 2 talent who fell to Day 3 as “smaller” corners. The difference is those two love contact and are demons in Cover 3 Zone. 

The Falcons run more Cover 3 preventing the big play than any team in the NFL. 

7th (197) Marcus Wehr, OL, Montana State

  • 6’4, 300
  • Senior
  • My Draft Board: Late Day 3 Grade

Montana’s finest, Falcons linebacker Troy Andersen, would greet a fellow Montana State Bobcat as an NFL teammate, swinging the entire state to be Falcons fans. Like Andersen, Wehr is a Feldman’s Freak as one of the top 100 college football players with unique abilities.

  • 600-pound squat
  • 31 inch vertical
  • 375 clean

Wehr was a 2023 FCS 1st Team All-American right tackle, but the good ole boys at Montana State selflessly transitioned the Senior Captain Wehr to right guard, despite grading out as PFF’s 2023 top-rated Division I offensive tackle.

"(Interior) is the long-term position that does suit him better at the next level," Montana State coach Brent Vigen said. "It is two different worlds. It’s different types of guys you’re blocking. It’s different angles …it appeared he was absolutely ready for the task." 

I’d like to see Wehr get some looks at Center and boost his Draft stock. He has Senior Bowl standout written all over him. 

7th (231) Beaux Collins, WR, Notre Dame

  • 6’3, 206
  • Senior, Turns 22 in December
  • My Draft Board: Late Day 3 Grade

Having St. John Bosco (Calif.) High School, Clemson (2021-2023), & Notre Dame (2024) on your football resume is big money. Collins plays primary wide and the slot with a career 13.9 YPC. 

Compare Collins’s numbers at Clemson vs. this year’s pace at Notre Dame:

  • Average 2021-2023 annual stat line (Clemson) - 30 catches, 430 yards (14.3 avg), 3 TD
  • On pace this year? 42 catches, 539 yards (12.8), 3 TD

Someone is going to get lost in the crowd in this deep-depth WR class.

Final Note

If you are at this point and triggered, I am going to guess you want some Interior Defensive Line. Atlanta has roughly $8.5M in 2025 available cap. The Draft can’t fill ‘em all, especially with just 5 picks, 2 of which are Round 7. But remember, the Falcons drafted defensive tackles in 2024, though Zion Logue was poached by the Bills off the practice squad.

2025 Defensive Tackle Free Agent Class

Alim McNeill, Detroit Lions

Osa Odighizuwa, Dallas Cowboys

Milton Williams, Philadelphia Eagles

D.J. Jones, Denver Broncos

B.J. Hill, Cincinnati Bengals

Levi Onwuzurike, Detroit Lions

Bobby Brown III, Los Angeles Rams

Javon Kinlaw, New York Jets

Tershawn Wharton, Kansas City Chiefs

Tedarrell Slaton, Green Bay Packers

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Clint Goss
CLINT GOSS

Clint Goss is an NFL & SEC football writer, as well as the on-air co-host of The Falcon Fade radio show at 99.1 WDJY and lead NFL Draft Analyst for Stadium Rant. He is a Rhetoric graduate of Georgia College & State University. A Roswell resident, find Clint at Mercedes-Benz Stadium every Sunday covering the Atlanta Falcons. You can follow Clint actively on Twitter/X @NFLDraftDome