Getty The Falcons can land a potential No. 1 pick in the 2022 draft, without having to trade up.
A highly-touted prospect falling in the first round is one of the more intriguing aspects of any NFL draft. It happens every year, but could the Atlanta Falcons really steal the potential first-overall pick in 2022?
It’s a scenario laid out in the latest mock draft put together by NFL Network’s Peter Schrager. He has the Falcons lucking into landing a prospect many have declared talented enough to be the first player taken this year.
If things played out this way, the Falcons would solve one of their biggest weaknesses. They’d also have bookend starters at one of football’s most important positions after restructuring a key veteran’s contract ahead of free agency.
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Falcons Hold Firm at 8 and Take BPA
Schrager thinks the Falcons should stay put with the eighth-overall pick and use it to take the best player available. This strategy would put the Falcons in position to choose a marquee prospect at any one of four key positions, according to Schrager:
Atlanta viewed as a true “Best Player Available” situation at 8. Could be looking at any of the WRs, any of the QBs, and the third OT or DE. 8 is not a “Driver’s Seat” pick, but in this Draft could be perfect.
In his mock draft 2.0, Schrager has the Falcons “sit pretty” and take Alabama offensive tackle Evan Neal: “This situation would be a lot like what happened to the Chargers last year when Pro Bowler Rashawn Slater unexpectedly fell out of the top 12.”
It may read like the stuff dreams are made of, but Schrager believes it’s possible Neal lasts until No. 8. Part of the reason is Scrager has the Houston Texans and New York Giants choosing different names from a deep pool of gifted tackles.
The Texans take North Carolina State’s Ikem ‘Ickey’ Ekwonu with the third pick, while the Giants make Charles Cross the fifth player selected. Cross hearing his name called before Neal might surprise some, but Schrager has “heard the Giants love the Mississippi State product, who’s not only rising up their board, but several other teams’, as well.”
There would also be an obvious comparison here to the 2020 draft, when the Giants selected Andrew Thomas ahead of more well-regarded tackles like Tristan Wirfs.
This year’s class also also has no shortage of dominant offensive linemen, but most experts consider Neal first among the tackles. One analyst, ESPN’s Matt Miller, told Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post, the top two tackles in this class are Neal and Ekwonu.
Miller then explained why he prefers Neal: “I prefer Neal, but it’s really close between the top two. Neal is well-rounded and more athletic. It’s such a big difference in the pass game — and some of that is because of his length and being 6-foot-7 versus 6-foot-4.”
Such praise is the norm for Neal, who has been tabbed a “potential No. 1 pick” by ESPN’s Peter Thamel. Neal began the year as the first pick in most mock drafts, including this one by Trevor Sikkema of Pro Football Focus and this one from Sports Illustrated‘s Kevin Hanson.
The idea of Neal going first overall to the Jacksonville Jaguars has cooled somewhat since pass-rushers like Michigan’s Aidan Hutchinson and Oregon’s Kayvon Thibodeaux have risen up boards. Yet, it would still rate as a shock if the former Crimson Tide standout slipped outside the Top 10.
It would be a dream for the Falcons to stay patient and be rewarded with a player good enough to instantly upgrade a trouble spot along their offensive line.
Neal and Jake Matthews Would Make Perfect Bookends
The Falcons made a smart move by extending Jake Matthews’ deal back in March. it not only freed up space under the salary cap, it also kept the team’s most accomplished linemen in the fold.
Matthews will continue to lock down the left tackle spot, but it’s a different story on the right, where Kaleb McGary struggled mightily last season. This is where Neal would come in to resolve an obvious problem.
He played right tackle for Alabama in 2020 and thrived, according to Pro Football Focus’ Anthony Treash: “The 6-foot-8, 337-pounder earned an 83.7 PFF grade at right tackle in 2020 before posting an 85.8 mark at left tackle in 2021. He allowed one pressure or less in 21 games over that span, more than any other tackle in the country.”
There have been some concerns about Neal’s technique, particularly his footwork, an issue detailed here by Ben Fennell of CBS Sports:
Main issue with Evan Neal is occasionally he doesn’t bring his feet with him… Plays with shoulders too far over toes and trying to ‘momentum block’ – which we know all the defender has to do is pull the chair
When Evan Neal stays balanced with feet under him – he’s moving you…
Generally speaking, though, Neal is an NFL-ready tackle and as close to a can’t-miss prospect as the Falcons will encounter on draft day. General manager Terry Fontenot and head coach Arthur Smith can’t ignore the need to fix the offensive line, after last season’s group allowed 40 sacks, per StatsMuse.
Putting Neal on the right would not only solidify that side. It would also give the Falcons a natural successor for 30-year-old Matthews. Free-agent signing Germain Ifedi could then shift inside to right guard, where he started 10 games for the Chicago Bears in 2021, according to Falcons beat reporter Tori McElhaney.
Fortifying the O-line is a must in an NFC South loaded with pass-rushers as dominant as Shaquil Barrett, Cameron Jordan and Brian Burns. It means the Falcons shouldn’t blink if Neal is still on the board at No. 8, or else Fontenot will need to use one of his two second-round picks on a potential starter for the trenches.