Atlanta Falcons 2016 Draft: Roundtable mock draft first round

Atlanta Falcons should roll dice on Noah Spence in 2016 NFL Draft by Freddie Boston

The much anticipated Super Bowl commercials have been seen, and the much more anticipated actual Super Bowl game has been played. Free agency has churned the rumor mill; the tier one free agents have signed, as have the those in tiers two, three, and four. The ides of March have come and gone. Pollen has invaded, and decreased with time.

Now, it's almost time for one of the most anticipated events on the NFL calendar: the NFL Draft. The national football league truly is a year round sport, with the draft being its offseason centerpiece.

The writers here at Blogging Dirty are giddy with excitement at the prospects of seeing who the newest Atlanta Falcons will be, coming out of college. So what better way to celebrate the festivities than to deliver our concise predictions as to what the selections will be?

The team can go in all sorts of different directions. Pass rush can still be improved, there's a pressing need at the linebacker position, safety is still a concern, even getting a guard somewhere along the way could be an option.

This is the second year where the writers here at Blogging Dirty are doing a mock draft, here is where you can link back to last year's mock: Round 1, Round 2, Round 3, Round 4, Round 5, Round 6, and Round 7.

The rules of this mock are simple: the writer will select the player he would take if he were in the Falcons' general manager; his selection must be a player whom he thinks will realistically be available at the time of Atlanta's pick. To keep this mock draft from getting too convoluted, we'll assume that the Falcons won't make any trades. Let's begin!

Kevin Knight

17 Sheldon Rankins DT, Louisville

With Shaq Lawson almost assuredly off the board by the time the Falcons pick, the team picks the best player available to help the pass rush. Rankins has the upside of an elite DT, with the ability to be incredibly disruptive both as a pass rusher and run defender. He's a bit small, but I see him as similar to Aaron Donald in many ways. If he's 80 percent of the player Donald is, the Falcons will be adding a monster to their defensive line.

Although the DT rotation is strong now, Babineaux is likely playing his final years in Atlanta. Pairing Rankins with Grady Jarrett and Vic Beasley could be three pieces of a young, borderline-elite defensive line. Rankins has the upside of an 8-10 sack player from the interior, and his presence will help generate more sacks for the entire defense.

Adnan Ikic

17 Reggie Ragland LB, Alabama

The Falcons are desperately in need of an inside linebacker, a position they completely ignored in free agency (presumably to address it in the draft). I don't expect my first choice LB, Darron Lee, to be there at 17, due to his recent ascension up the boards.

The next best option is Reggie Ragland, a player linked to the birds for months now, gets scooped up by Atlanta and immediately steps into a leadership role as the quarterback of the defense. Ragland is an excellent run stopper, and has been described as a "thumper" who can deliver a big hit when presented with the opportunity; Atlanta hasn't had that type of enforcer up the middle of the defense in a long time. He can also get after the quarterback on passing downs, according to his personal coach Chuck Smith. Ragland is also the consummate pro with every intangible you could ask for, he'd be a welcome addition to the Falcons.

Eric Robinson

17 Emmanuel Ogbah DE, Oklahoma State

Thorough contemplation between a pass rusher and LB (preferably Darron Lee) at 17. Pass rusher won out by a hair. I'm not confident Shaq Lawson will be on the board at 17th so taking a 6-foot-4, 275-pound tag-team partner to team with Vic Beasley sounds like a beneficial Plan B.

Curtis Hobbs

17 Joey Bosa DE, Ohio State

With the recent developments of picks being traded from Tennessee to Los Angeles, you can bet your bottom dollar that this transaction will have a rampant effect on the first round. And when the Falcons who pick in the 17th spot as far as we know now, there will be some incredible players available for the selection.Everyone knows that the defense is going to be the focus of the early rounds (if it's not, then let the headhunting begin), and this will be the most important selection in recent franchise history. And look no further than Joey Bosa.

Yes. I said it. Joey Bosa will be available for the Falcons, and this WILL be the best selection.

To many, Bosa was one of the best players in the draft going into last year, but with the incredible rise of University of Georgia linebacker Leonard Floyd, I am projecting Bosa to still be around when Atlanta hits the clock.

Bosa makes for an incredible selection in the pass rush and in run protection. Given the size concern, I'm projecting a fall throughout the first round. And it is something that we all hope and pray Atlanta will not pass.

Chandler Stewart

17 Darron Lee LB, Ohio State

In a perfect scenario I would hope Atlanta would trade down and gather more picks. I don't think there is a huge drop-off in talent between what they could get picking at 17 or picking at 27, however given the Falcons' draft history, that has a .0124555% chance of happening.

If picking at 17, my pick is Darron Lee. He possesses one thing the defense currently lacks in the linebacking corps — speed. They need someone who can cover tight ends and running backs out of the back field and Lee is that guy. He is a bit small for the position but he could put on a little bit of weight and be a perfect fit for the Dan Quinn scheme.

Getting better coverage will not only improve the pass defense, but it will give the pass rush extra time to get to the quarterback. An extra second looking for an open receiver could be all the time the rushers need to get that extra pressure.

Colin Hubbard

17 Shaq Lawson DE, Clemson

If Clemson defensive end Shaq Lawson is still available when the Atlanta Falcons have the opportunity to make their first-round selection, that draft card will be turned in within the first 30 seconds. Atlanta is still in dire need of pass rushing help and adding a guy with Lawson's stature would be terrific to pair up with former Clemson teammate Vic Beasley.

Having a pass rusher such as Beasley that uses his speed to his advantage is great, but having a pass rusher that uses his size and power to get through the offensive line is even better. And what makes this pairing terrific is not because they are former teammates, but because they are polar opposites in the way they go about rushing the passer which should wreak havoc on opposing offensive lineman.

The Falcons still have a lot of problems to address on the defense such as outside linebacker, inside linebacker and safety but at this point the team needs to draft the best player available if they choose to pick at 17 instead of trading back in the draft. Lawson is a guy that has floated around mock drafts but it's starting to look like there will be a good chance for the Falcons to swoop in and pick him up at 17.

This could potentially set up a Clemson reunion of Beasley, Lawson and Grady Jarrett, which could become one of the best trios in the NFL in just a few short years.

Freddie Boston

17 Noah Spence DE, Eastern Kentucky

Is Noah Spence a risky pick? Of course. Multiple failed drugs tests will put a major red flag next to your name, but selecting Spence would give the Falcons an opportunity to grab a top-10 talent despite picking in the middle of the first round.

It's reached a stage where Atlanta needs to do something about its pass rush. Another poor year getting after the quarterback will give the team little to no chance of reaching the postseason. With just five selections in the draft, hitting on a defensive end is crucial for the unit to make progress in 2016. Spence has the talent to be a difference-maker on defense.

Pair Spence next to last year's first selection Vic Beasley and the Falcons would have two explosive playmakers rushing off the edge. With more consistent pressure on the quarterback, the entire defense would benefit.

Source: Atlanta Falcons 2016 Draft: Roundtable mock draft first round