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<\/a><\/p>\nRound 2, Pick 48: EDGE Malachi Lawrence, UCF<\/p>\n
To say that the arrest of star rookie James Pearce Jr. has thrown a wrench into the Falcons plans for the edge rusher room would be a massive understatement. We\u2019ll see how that ultimately plays out, but the team would be wise to operate as if Pearce was unavailable for the foreseeable future. That means edge rockets back to the top of needs list, particularly with multiple free agents hitting the market. Jalon Walker will likely handle one of the starting spots, but the room still needs a lot of work.<\/p>\n
I was hoping UCF legend Malachi Lawrence would stay under the radar and be a potential third-round option, but his impressive Combine has ended those hopes. That being said, Lawrence is definitely a worthy second round pick. He\u2019s got an ideal frame (6\u20194, 253) with good length and explosiveness, checking the boxes you need to see. Lawrence is an advanced rusher with a number of moves and good hand usage, making his pathway to early playing time clear. He needs to improve his run defense and gap discipline, but all the tools are there for a quality NFL starter.<\/p>\n
Round 3, Pick 79: WR Chris Brazzell II, Tennessee<\/p>\n This is a deep receiver class on Day 2. Someone will fall to the Falcons in the third round, which is why I\u2019m in favor of going elsewhere with the second rounder. In this scenario, it was Tennessee speedster Chris Brazzell II, who posted a blazing 4.37s 40 at the Combine. Brazzell is best known for his field-stretching ability, but there\u2019s more nuance to his game than you might expect. Tennessee\u2019s offense does make it a little challenging to evaluate receivers for the NFL, but Brazzell clearly has translatable talent.<\/p>\n Brazzell is a big-bodied outside receiver at 6\u20195, 200 who dominates down the field. He\u2019s a threat on every single play and will demand the attention of safeties, opening up the offense for Drake London, Kyle Pitts, and Bijan Robinson. I really appreciated the growth from Brazzell in terms of his route tree and technique this season, and think he\u2019s more than just a deep threat. He hasn\u2019t been tested against press and will likely struggle there early in his career, and I\u2019d like to see him perform better in contested catch situations. Still, Brazzell offers WR2 upside in an aggressive downfield passing attack like what Atlanta could turn to with Penix at the helm.<\/p>\n Round 4, Pick 114: DT DeMonte Capehart, Clemson<\/p>\n The Falcons are going young on the defensive line with Brandon Dorlus, Zach Harrison, and Ruke Orhorhoro, but they still don\u2019t have a run-stuffing specialist in the middle. Luckily, this is a deep class, and someone is likely to fall into the early Day 3 range. Atlanta has already shown interest in Clemson defensive tackle DeMonte Capehart, who had a tremendous workout at the NFL Combine and vaulted himself into the fourth round conversation.<\/p>\n Capehart is a physical interior defender with terrific size (6\u20195, 313, nearly 34\u201d arms) and better-than-expected athleticism. At the moment his game is predicated on strength and effort, and that works well against the run. He\u2019s a very unrefined pass rusher who primarily relies on a bull rush, but his traits give up upside to eventually become a more impactful player on passing downs. This is exactly the type of player the Falcons have collected on the defensive line over the past several years, and I\u2019m guessing they\u2019ll continue to lean on Nate Ollie\u2019s talent for coaching up athletes.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n