Disclaimer: The statements and opinions regarding players and/or potential future players in the article below are those of the AtlantaFalcons.com editorial staff and are not of the Atlanta Falcons' football personnel unless noted in a direct quote.
FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — Welcome to the Atlanta Falcons Mock Draft Tracker! Throughout draft season, we'll be compiling a running list of who the Falcons are projected to select with the No. 15 pick in several reputable mock drafts. The tracker has been updated to reflect mock drafts published through April 21 and will be refreshed each week.
Here are the latest mock draft predictions for the Falcons:
EXPERT: Dane Brugler - The Athletic
PICK: Mike Green, Edge, Marshall
LAST MOCK PUBLISHED: April 21
BRUGLER'S ANALYSIS: "The FBS leader in sacks last season, Green uses linear burst and athletic twitch to be a disruptive one-on-one pass rusher. Despite average size measurements, he sets a violent edge in the run game and his motor pops on every tape (led all FBS defensive linemen in tackles in 2024)." To see all of Brugler's latest mock draft, click here.
PREVIOUS BRUGLER PICKS:
EXPERT: Pete Prisco - CBS Sports
PICK: Walter Nolen, DL, Ole Miss
LAST MOCK PUBLISHED: April 21
PRISCO'S ANALYSIS: "They need help at edge and inside, so Nolen would work in this spot. He can be the replacement for Grady Jarrett, an up-the-field attacker inside." To see all of Prisco's latest mock draft, click here.
PREVIOUS PRISCO PICKS:
EXPERT: Ryan Wilson - CBS Sports
PICK: Walter Nolen, DT, Ole Miss
LAST MOCK PUBLISHED: April 21
WILSON'S ANALYSIS: "Edge rusher has been a popular pick here but the Falcons need some interior defensive line help too, and good luck finding someone more disruptive than Walter Nolen." To see all of Wilson's latest mock draft, click here.
PREVIOUS WILSON PICKS:
EXPERT: Jordan Reid — ESPN NFL draft analyst
PICK: Mike Green, Edge, Marshall
LAST MOCK PUBLISHED: April 21
REID'S ANALYSIS: "With the second-fewest picks in this draft (five), the Falcons must select multiple defensive starters. More specifically, they need a presence on the edge, which Green provides. No Atlanta defender has reached seven sacks in the past five seasons. Meanwhile, Green had a nation-high 17 sacks in 2024. He's a high-energy and bendy rusher with a knack for getting to the QB with a full arsenal of pass-rush moves. He's at his best as a stand-up edge rusher and is also a stout run defender." To see all of Reid's latest mock draft, click here.
PREVIOUS REID PICKS:
EXPERT: Josh Edwards - CBS Sports
PICK: Will Johnson, CB,
LAST MOCK PUBLISHED: April 18
EDWARDS' ANALYSIS: "Will Johnson chose not to run the 40-yard dash at a private workout for NFL teams, which quietly confirms that he would not run as fast as one would hope for a top-10 overall pick. The reality is that he is going to slip farther than his 2023 tape suggests he should and the Falcons are rewarded with a quality player opposite A.J. Terrell." To see all of Edwards' latest mock draft, click here.
PREVIOUS EDWARDS PICKS:
EXPERT: Tori McElhaney - AtlantaFalcons.com
PICK: Donovan Ezeiruaku, Edge, Boston College
LAST MOCK PUBLISHED: April 17
McELHANEY'S' ANALYSIS: Traded back from pick No. 15 to pick No. 26. "Never one to miss out on a potential trade away of a first-round pick, without any second-round picks or any overly glaring needs for starters, the Rams were more than happy to put this deal together with Atlanta. They pick up two second-rounders they'll use to tap into this deep class of secondary players, while the Falcons leapfrogging the final five teams picking in the first round, who all happen to want help along their defensive front. It's a win-win for Atlanta and Los Angeles." To see all of McElhaney's latest mock draft, click here.
PREVIOUS McELHANEY PICKS:
EXPERT: Chris Trapasso - CBS Sports
PICK: Nick Emmanwori, safety, South Carolina
LAST MOCK PUBLISHED: April 16
TRAPASSO'S ANALYSIS: "With a top-flight edge available at this juncture, let's add an incredible amount of juice next to Jessie Bates at safety, especially considering Justin Simmons is still a free agent." To see all of Trapasso's latest mock draft, click here.
PREVIOUS TRAPASSO PICKS:
EXPERT: Danny Heifetz — The Ringer
PICK: Jalon Walker, LB, Georgia
LAST MOCK PUBLISHED: April 15
HEIFETZ'S ANALYSIS: "You could argue that Atlanta needs a pass rusher more than anything else; the Falcons haven't had a truly above-average defensive end since John Abraham in 2012. Atlanta has ranked last in sacks over the past 10 seasons. Because of his versatility, Walker is one of the most intriguing players in this class, and head coach Raheem Morris should be able to move him all over to create havoc." To see all of Yates' latest mock draft, click here.
PREVIOUS HEIFETZ PICKS:
- N/A
EXPERT: Field Yates — ESPN NFL draft analyst
PICK: Mike Green, Edge, Marshall
LAST MOCK PUBLISHED: April 15
YATES' ANALYSIS: "The Falcons registered the second-fewest sacks in the league last season (31), so edge rusher is still a problem even after signing Leonard Floyd. Green is explosive, powerful and pro-ready, and he should be able to get pressure on opponent QBs right away. He led the FBS with 17 sacks last season." To see all of Yates' latest mock draft, click here.
PREVIOUS YATES PICKS:
EXPERT: Mike Renner - CBS Sports
PICK: Donovan Ezeiruaku, Edge, Boston College
LAST MOCK PUBLISHED: April 14
RENNER'S ANALYSIS: "The Falcons' edge need has been huge for seemingly a decade. Ezeiruaku has the kind of nimble short-area quicks to consistently skirt past tackles in the league." To see all of Renner's latest mock draft, click here.
PREVIOUS RENNER PICKS:
EXPERT: Kyle Crabbs - 33rd Team NFL Draft Lead
PICK: Mike Green, Edge, Marshall
LAST MOCK PUBLISHED: April 14
CRABBS' ANALYSIS: "The pass rush group in Atlanta is, arguably, worse off than when the season ended. Leonard Floyd has been brought in amid the departure of Grady Jarrett at defensive tackle and much of the rest of the group is leaning on young player development. Where the Falcons go to add from here will likely define both the floor and the ceiling for the Falcons' front. Green is as dynamic of a pure pass rusher as there is in this year's draft." To see all of Crabbs' latest mock draft, click here.
PREVIOUS CRABBS PICKS:
EXPERT: Mel Kiper - ESPN NFL draft analyst
PICK: Mike Green, Edge, Marshall
LAST MOCK PUBLISHED: April 8
KIPER'S ANALYSIS: "It almost seems too simple. Atlanta had the second-fewest sacks in the NFL last season (31). Green had the most sacks in the FBS (17). Suddenly, there'd be some optimism around the pass rush, with Green and free agent signing Leonard Floyd flying in off the edge. Green mixes in speed and power to keep offensive tackles on their heels, and his ability to stop the run means coach Raheem Morris could keep him on the field no matter the situation. If things play out this way, he'd be the second-highest drafted Marshall player in the common draft era (Byron Leftwich went seventh in 2003)." To see all of Kiper's latest mock draft, click here.
PREVIOUS KIPER PICKS
- April 8 - Mike Green
- March 18 — Mike Green
- Feb. 25 — Mike Green
- Jan. 22 — Shemar Stewart
EXPERT: Nick Baumgardner - The Athletic
PICK: Mykel Williams, Edge, Georgia
LAST MOCK PUBLISHED: April 7
BAUMGARDNER'S ANALYSIS: "Williams' scouting profile almost could be used to explain most of this class: He's a terrific athlete (at 6-5, 260) and has limitless potential as a do-it-all edge with interior rush potential, but he's also really never put everything together. Though it could take a minute for him to develop, he has true star potential at an incredibly valuable position." To see all of Baumgardner's latest mock draft, click here.
PREVIOUS BAUMGARDNER PICKS:
EXPERT: Lance Zierlein - NFL.com draft analyst
PICK: Will Johnson, CB, Michigan
LAST MOCK PUBLISHED: April 1
ZIERLEIN'S ANALYSIS: "The Falcons play a heavy percentage of zone, which is perfect for Johnson, who thrives as a ballhawk in those coverages. If Atlanta doesn't go with the corner here, the pick should be an edge rusher." To see all of Zierlein's latest mock draft, click here.
PREVIOUS ZIERLEIN PICKS:
EXPERT: Matt Miller - ESPN NFL Draft Analyst
PICK: Jihaad Campbell, LB, Alabama
LAST MOCK PUBLISHED: March 27
MILLER'S ANALYSIS: "With only five picks, the Falcons are under pressure to find defensive playmakers in this draft. Campbell is exactly that, a versatile player who has scouts torn when discussing his ultimate position. He is a top-tier off-ball linebacker but has untapped pass-rush potential (five sacks in 2024) that could define his NFL career. Every NFL team is trying to find the next Micah Parsons, and there's hope Campbell could be that as a 3-4 outside linebacker." To see all of Miller's latest mock draft, click here.
PREVIOUS MILLER PICKS:
EXPERT: Bucky Brooks - NFL.com analyst
PICK: Mike Green, Edge, Marshall
LAST MOCK PUBLISHED: March 25
BROOKS' ANALYSIS: "The Dirty Birds have been searching for a consistent edge rusher since John Abraham departed over a decade ago. Green is a sack artist with the tools and talent to take over games." To see all of Brooks' latest mock draft, click here.
PREVIOUS BROOKS PICKS:
EXPERT: Daniel Jeremiah - NFL Media analyst
PICK: Will Johnson, CB, Michigan
LAST MOCK PUBLISHED: March 18
JEREMIAH'S ANALYSIS: "While some inconsistencies popped up in Johnson's 2024 tape, it's hard to find big, rangy corners with his ball skills." To see all of Jeremiah's latest mock draft, click here.
PREVIOUS JEREMIAH PICKS:
EXPERT: Danny Kelly - The Ringer
PICK: Mike Green, Edge, Marshall
LAST MOCK PUBLISHED: March 18
KELLY'S ANALYSIS: "The Falcons address a long-standing need, grabbing an exciting edge rusher in Green. The Marshall standout is a little bit shorter than ideal at 6-foot-3, but he's a twitchy athlete with the flexibility to dip under blocks and bend around the corner. He should give an Atlanta defense that finished second to last in sacks (31) last season a nice boost." To see all of Kelly's latest mock draft, click here.
PREVIOUS KELLY PICKS:
- N/A
