{"id":17856,"date":"2017-04-09T22:46:32","date_gmt":"2017-04-10T02:46:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonprofootball.com\/?p=17856"},"modified":"2017-04-09T22:46:32","modified_gmt":"2017-04-10T02:46:32","slug":"falcons-2017-draft-targets","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2017\/04\/09\/falcons-2017-draft-targets\/","title":{"rendered":"2017 NFL Draft: Who the Atlanta Falcons Should Target"},"content":{"rendered":"
Coming off a historic season, led by the league MVP, Matt Ryan<\/a>, the Falcons\u00a0are able to sit back and breathe a little bit this off-season. However, if they want to get back to the Super Bowl and redeem their monumental collapse, they must make some key improvements in the Draft.<\/h6>\n

2017 NFL Draft: Who the Atlanta Falcons Should Target<\/h2>\n

Needs:\u00a0<\/strong>OL, DE, LB, FS<\/em><\/h6>\n

Head Coach Dan Quinn<\/a>\u00a0and General Manager Thomas Dimitroff are all about finding players who can fill immediate holes. And as last year\u2019s draft showed us, they are willing to take \u201crisks\u201d and draft a guy \u201cearly\u201d if they believe he can make an immediate impact.<\/p>\n

Last year the Falcons<\/a>\u00a0looked to fill some of the many holes, the defense seemed to possess, in the Draft by taking\u00a0Keanu Neal<\/a>,\u00a0Deion Jones<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0and\u00a0De’Vondre Campbell<\/a><\/strong>. Not to mention, the UDFA acquisition of Brian Poole<\/a><\/strong>. These four guys added some much needed athleticism to the Falcons defense.<\/p>\n

Quinn and company aren\u2019t just going to be drafting any player. They want a hybrid player, meaning they have the ability to play more than one position. They are looking for the athletic freaks, who some teams may be weary on drafting because they don\u2019t know where they are going to play them on the field.\u00a0However, the Falcons seem to have no issues with developing athletes into playing multiple positions.<\/p>\n

Last year, just to name a few, they changed Vic Beasley Jr.<\/a>, Brooks Reed<\/a>, C.J. Goodwin<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0and Ra’Shede Hageman’s<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0positions and they all turned out quit well. In fact, Beasley led the league in sacks, a category in which the Falcons lacked in severely a season before.<\/p>\n

Defensive draft options<\/h2>\n

Immediately three players, in this year\u2019s draft, come to mind that fit the hybrid-type Quinn and company are looking for;\u00a0Jabrill Peppers<\/a>, Adoree’ Jackson<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0and Zach Cunningham<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

The first need that comes to mind is finding Beasley a supporting cast in the pass rush, but that can wait. With the addition of Dontari Poe<\/a><\/strong>, a healthy Derrick Shelby<\/a>\/Adrian Clayborn<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0and the sudden breakout of Grady Jarrett<\/a><\/strong>, the Falcons don\u2019t necessarily need to pounce on a pass rusher right away.<\/p>\n

Drafting Peppers, Jackson or Cunningham would fill a need at either linebacker or safety. Additionally, these three are perfect scheme fits, precisely because of their ability to play multiple positions.<\/p>\n

Upgrading the offensive line<\/h2>\n

They should look to fill the hole at right guard, now that Chris Chester<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0has retired, or look for a more athletic, ball-hawking defensive back to take over the free safety position.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s no secret that the Falcons\u2019 success last season came from the offense and Ryan\u2019s breakout season, so why not look for ways to sure-up that offensive line in order to give Matty Ice more time to create more explosive plays to break the game open.<\/p>\n

Nabbing a guard in\u00a0Dan Feeney<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0or Forrest Lamp<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0would not only benefit Ryan, but also one of the league\u2019s most dynamic rushing attacks, spearheaded by Devonta Freeman<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0and Tevin Coleman<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Last year, the duo combined for 2,482 yards of total offense and 24 touchdowns. On the ground they accounted for 1,599 yards and 19 touchdowns.<\/p>\n

Freeman rushed for 1,079 yards, averaging 4.8 yards-per-carry, and 11 rushing touchdowns, while his counterpart, Coleman, rushed for 520 yards, averaging 4.4 yards-per-carry, and eight rushing touchdowns.<\/p>\n

To sum things up<\/strong> –<\/h3>\n

Look for the Falcons to take one of these guys, if they are available, with the 31st pick in the 2017 NFL Draft<\/em>:<\/p>\n