FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. – With the 2017 season in the books, Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff and head coach Dan Quinn will focus their attention on continuing to build their roster via free agency and the 2018 NFL Draft.
First up in that process? The Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala., that takes place on Jan. 27 with a week full of practices leading up to the game.
Dimitroff views the opportunity to watch these practices with Quinn by his side as "invaluable" to their overall process.
"To be able to discuss position drills while we were watching live was invaluable," Dimitroff said of being with Quinn at least year's event. "We were able to share our opinions; it's just a really good session for us."
Eight players on Atlanta's current roster participated in the Senior Bowl:
• Matt Ryan
• Justin Hardy
• Grady Jarrett
• Robert Alford
• Desmond Trufant
• Deion Jones
• Duke Riley
• Damontae Kazee
The Falcons have the No. 26 pick in the draft this year and the mock drafts have already begun.
To this point, some of the prospects that have been linked to the Falcons in some of those aforementioned mock drafts have been at the following positions:
• Defensive line
• Wide receiver
• Offensive line
So with that being said, here's a closer look at the top prospects attending the Senior Bowl at those positions:
Offensive line:
Tyrell Crosby, Oregon
Chukuma Okorafor, Western Michigan
Mason Cole, Michigan
Isaiah Wynn, Georgia
Will Hernandez, UTEP
Joseph Noteboom, TCU
Wide receiver:
James Washington Jr., Oklahoma State
DJ Chark, LSU
Cedrick Wilson, Boise State
Allen Lazard, Iowa State
Marcell Ateman, Oklahoma State
Michael Gallup, Colorado State
Defensive line:
Harrison Phillips, Stanford
Poona Ford, Texas
B.J. Hill, NC State
Maurice Hurst, Michigan
