The NFL draft is just over a month away and the Falcons hold the No. 4 overall selection. There are many different directions the team could go, leading many to believe Atlanta will trade down.
Pro Football Focus’ Michael Renner released a new mock in which the San Francisco 49ers trade up to the No. 4 spot and draft Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields, while the Falcons move down eight spots to pick No. 12.
So who would the Falcons select in this hypothetical situation? Renner has the team drafting Alabama cornerback Patrick Surtain to beef up the defensive secondary in order to compete with an explosive Tampa Bay Buccaneers offense.
“Here we have a mini-run on the cornerback position, as Atlanta simply has to get better there if they’re going to compete with the Bucs in the NFC South. Because of that, they take a page out of Tampa Bay’s playbook and go secondary for the second straight year in Round 1.”
PFF’s mock has Surtain as the third cornerback selected behind Caleb Farley and Jaycee Horn at picks 10 and 11. In addition to edge rusher Jaelen Phillips from Miami at No. 35, the Falcons also used this trade to draft Jalen Mayfield, an interior offensive lineman from Michigan at pick No. 43.
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