Holders of the No. 8 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, the Atlanta Falcons don't have the worries of a lot of teams picking in the top 10. Overall, the Falcons are a pretty talented team, even last year. But a third consecutive season finishing 7-10 got them to this point. That was when they didn't have a reliable option behind center. Kirk Cousins changed that.
You could say that the signing of the former Minnesota Viking completely turned the draft upside down for the Falcons. No longer are they one of the starving, needy teams with the rest of the bunch like those ahead of them or even behind them. They believe they found their most needed piece through free agency, tampered or not.
Still, the Falcons will look to shore up some needs to improve their roster for the 2024 season and beyond, as Cousins can't be the only solution, even if he is the largest. Overall, the Falcons have eight picks through every round except the seventh to find what they feel like are the missing pieces of their team.
In this final seven-round mock draft (minus the seventh, of course), we'll go through all of the Falcons' eight picks, starting in the first round with the No. 8 overall selection.
First round – No. 8 – Dallas Turner, Edge
The Falcons could go a lot of ways with this pick; in fact, they could trade down if the price was right. But assuming head coach Raheem Morris and general manager Terry Fontenot like where they are, adding a pass rush option like Alabama's Dallas Turner seems like the best fit for the team overall and one that's been perceived for a while now. However, something to watch out for is if someone like Malik Nabers or one of the other talented wide receivers falls to them at eight.
Second round – No. 43 – TJ Tampa, CB
In their second-round pick, the Falcons should go after another corner like Iowa State's TJ Tampa. Even if Atlanta decides to re-sign AJ Terrell to an extended deal or let him play out his fifth-year option, he's going to need help on the other side of him regardless. Either way, the Falcons should be getting another starting corner. The other option here could also be Ennis Rakestraw Jr. out of Missouri.
Third round – No. 74 – Spencer Rattler, QB
The only quarterbacks in the room right now for the Falcons are Kirk Cousins, who's coming off a season-ending Achilles injury last year and will be 36 years old once the season starts, and last year's backup Taylor Heinicke. That's obviously not a bad room whatsoever with a proven starter and backup, but there still needs to be a QB3 in case one or both should go down for any amount of time.
Eventually, the Falcons will be looking towards their quarterback of the future. Picking Spencer Rattler, who should be available at the No. 74 pick, may not be the future, but he could surprise a lot of people. But needless to say, it wouldn't hurt if they had some youth in the room. The Falcons could always use him for trade value later on.
Third round – No. 79 – T'Vondre Sweat, DL
With their second third-round pick, the Falcons will finally touch on one of their main needs of this draft, which is the defensive line. In an odd move, the team signed former Chicago Bear Eddie Goldman, who came out of retirement to sign with Atlanta. But it's doubtful that Morris and the rest of the defensive coaching staff are putting too much stock in him, right? So, why not go out and grab versatile interior defensive lineman like T'Vondre Sweat? The Falcons will likely have to work with him on his weight and conditioning, but his size is something that can't be taught at 6-foot-4, 362 pounds.
Fourth round – No. 109 – Brenden Rice, WR
This is one of the deeper receiver classes in some time. That's good news for the Falcons as they are looking to add yet another weapon for Cousins. They already did some of that in free agency by picking up Darnell Mooney and Rondale Moore. But rebuilding the room overall still seems at hand, which this draft can help with.
If USC wide receiver Brenden Rice is available in the fourth round, he might just be one of the steals of the 2024 NFL Draft. He has great football intelligence, can block, and runs great routes. His football pedigree, being the son of Jerry Rice, doesn't hurt either.
Fifth round – No. 143 – James Williams, S
Adding a safety, continuing to enhance the defensive back room, should be something still to consider even in the fifth round. There's some solid safeties in the 2024 NFL Draft, like Miami's James Williams possibly at pick No. 143. Williams was an aggressive, head-hunting type player at times while playing for the Miami Hurricanes, which either came to his success or his detriment. His coverage grades continued to increase by the season, going from 78.1, 88.5, and 85.5 over the past three years, according to PFF. Williams could also help on special teams.
Sixth round – No. 187 – Keith Randolph Jr., DL
Adding some depth to the defensive line, Illinois defensive lineman Keith Randolph Jr. is someone to look at. Randolph graded with a 79 overall grade two seasons ago, having four sacks, two quarterback hits, and a whopping 26 quarterback hurries. Injuries may be a bit of a concern here, but if the Falcons want to keep adding a pass rush, and depth piece at that, to their defensive line, Randolph is a solid option.
Sixth round – No. 197 – Dwight McGlothern, CB
In their last selection, coming in the sixth round at No. 197, the Falcons will add their final piece with another corner. Why? Because if Arkansas' Dwight McGlothern is available, he has some capabilities to be a value piece to the secondary. He's coming off his best season, with a coverage grade of 91.8. He forced five incompletions, made three interceptions, turning two of those into touchdowns, allowing a passer rating of 51.2.
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