It’s no secret the Atlanta Falcons are looking to trade up in the draft, but if they stay put at the No. 16 pick, Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff is still a fan of his options.
“Honestly, we have a handful of guys that we think could be there at No. 16 that we really like,” Dimitroff said. “Do we have our preference? No question about it.”
Dimitroff, in a recent interview, brought up a solid point about the NFL draft and that there is talent in each round.
“I feel like it’s not just one round in that certain position, you can still find value at different rounds and still pick someone who is going to be very helpful for the organization and provide us the proper depth,” Dimitroff said.
3 Potential No. 16 Picks
1. ) C.J. Henderson CB
There are various needs the Falcons will hone in on in this year’s draft, but one position the Falcons are looking to add depth at is cornerback.
Former Florida Gator corner, C.J. Henderson has been linked to the Falcons in endless mock drafts.
Henderson stands at 6’1″, 205 pounds. Last season he recorded 33 tackles and 11 pass breakups which led him to receive first-team All-SEC honors.
The former Gator validated himself NFL worthy as a junior, but really caught the attention of many scouts at this year’s NFL Combine. He proved that he was the most athletic athlete at his position that week. Henderson ran a 4.39 40-yard dash, had a 37.5-inch vert and he also put up 20 reps on the bench press.
2. ) A. J. Epenesa DE
Another guy the Falcons could grab is former Iowa Hawkeye defensive end, A.J. Epenesa.
Epenesa is a 6-foot-6, 280-pound defensive end with a record of 26.5 sacks in his three seasons as a Hawkeye. He is known for his power, size, and understanding of how to get to the quarterback. He plays very smart and always has a plan of attack as a pass rusher.
Epenesa said at the combine it would be a dream to join his cousin, Jacob Tuioti-Mariner who is also a DE if he were to come to Atlanta.
“I grew up with him, it would be great to have the opportunity to play together. Growing up together, playing football, it’s kind of a dream of ours but it would be really cool if we have that opportunity.”
3.) K’ Lavon Chaisson LB
A guy a lot of analysts seem to love is LSU standout K’Lavon Chaisson.
In a total of 24 career games, Chaisson acquired 92 tackles, 13.5 tackles for loss, 9.5 sacks, four pass deflections, and one forced fumble. I get it is hard to judge him based on just 24 games in three years, but you can tell he’s given it his all each chance he’s gotten. He tore his ACL in 2018 and missed most of the season, but came back in 2019 stronger than ever and had his best collegiate career…and won a national title game.
The Falcons could really use Chaisson to stop Tom Brady this upcoming season.
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Atlanta Falcons 2020 NFL Draft Picks
The annual NFL Draft will begin on the 23rd of April this year and end with the seventh round concluding on the 25th.
As of right now, the Falcons have six picks in total for the 2020 NFL Draft:
- Round 1, No. 16 overall
- Round 2, No. 47 overall
- Round 3, No. 78 overall
- Round 4, No. 119 overall
- Round 4, No. 134 overall
- Round 7, No. 228 overall
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Falcons GM ‘Really Likes’ Options at No. 16 Pick