Atlanta Falcons 2016 Draft: Roundtable mock draft second round

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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!

You can find our first round mock draft here. In an incredible twist, no two writers selected the same player in round one; that just goes to show how unpredictable this draft will be.

Atlanta Falcons' recent second round selections: 2010 – none; 2011 – none; 2012 – C/OG Peter Konz; 2013 – CB Robert Alford; 2014 – DT Ra'Shede Hageman; 2015 – CB Jalen Collins.

Kevin Knight

Previous Selections: Round 1 – DT Sheldon Rankins

50 Keanu Neal SS, Florida

Although Neal has been getting some late 1st-early 2nd buzz, there is still a good chance that the Florida safety falls to the Falcons at 50. That would be an ideal scenario, as Neal is a perfect fit at SS in Dan Quinn's defense. He is a physical player that is a force against the run and can contribute in coverage as well.

Neal would be a perfect enforcer in the mold of Kam Chancellor for Quinn's defense and could be a plug-and-play starter for the Falcons. His presence in the box would complete a secondary that could be a strength of the team in 2016 and beyond.

Adnan Ikic

Previous Selections: Round 1 – LB Reggie Ragland

50 Keanu Neal SS, Florida

The Falcons patch another defensive hole with this pick, this time at strong safety. With the combination of Reggie Ragland and Keanu Neal, the Falcons will get a couple of enforcers to anchor the middle of their front 7, and their secondary.

Neal is one of the draft's hardest hitting safeties in years, someone who looks to completely punish players on the opposing team. He'll be a valuable asset in run defense, and will develop into a good player in coverage as well. In Dan Quinn's system, think potential Kam Chancellor.

Eric Robinson

Previous Selections: Round 1 – DE Emmanuel Ogbah

50 Kanu Neal SS, Florida

A hard-hitting safety on the back end can do wonders for a defense. So Dan Quinn sets out to select his enforcer on a defense that has added physicality this offseason on defense (Derrick Shelby, Courtney Upshaw). Neal is a 216 pound safety that flies around to lay the wood on opponents. An agile and physical safety who will give the Falcons defense some juice.

Curtis Hobbs

Previous Selections: Round 1 – DE Joey Bosa

50 Kevin Dodd DE, Clemson

After what I'm expecting to be a homerun pick in the first round-no matter if it's Bosa, Ragland, or whomever-, the Falcons must followup with another great selection.  The second round and this will make or break the NFL draft for 2016.

I am projecting for the Falcons to continue to focus on the defensive line in the second round and I could see A'Shown Robinson or Kevin Dodd be selected here for Atlanta.

People may not celebrate this pick, but Dodd and Robinson haveshown flashes of brilliance off the edge at Clemson and their skills translate very well to the next level.

If I were a betting man, I'd say Kevin Dodd will be the pick in the second round for the Falcons, thus leaving more and more unanswered questions in other areas of the defense but that's what is come to be expected.

Chandler Stewart

Previous Selections: Round 1  – LB Darron Lee

50 Darian Thompson FS, Boise State

At this point I am drafting purely on need and we need a young safety that can hopefully come in and develop into a quality starter. Darian Thompson is my 4th choice as I think the other 3 are drafted by this point, but he is no slouch.

Thompson is an intelligent safety with play making ability. He had 5 interceptions his senior year so he has a nose for the ball. His best ability, his health. He started 41 times in his collegiate year which means he will be available on Sundays, something William Moore was not able to do much of. He was also voted team captian, which means he has leadership capabilities which we badly need in the secondary.

Thompson may not be a day 1 starter but he will contribute in some form right away. He has the tools to develop into a quality starter and has the intangibles an NFL team needs. Safety is probably our biggest need right now, and he could help by adding competition at the position.

Colin Hubbard

Previous Selections: Round 1 – DE Shaq Lawson

50 Su'a Cravens LB, USC

Su'a Cravens is a jack-of-all-trades type of player and that holds a ton of value in today's league. He is an outside linebacker that can play box safety and that's exactly what he would do on the Atlanta Falcons' defense.

This is a player that will be used mainly at weak side linebacker but could also be used at times in that strong safety spot when Atlanta is in a box defensive scheme. The obvious pick that the fan base wants in the second round is safety Keanu Neal. Well, what i've learned in my many years of being a Falcons' fan is that they never wind up drafting the player that everyone wants.

Cravens is a player that has openly tweeted that he loved his visit with the Falcons in Atlanta and it's a safe bet that the Falcons felt the same way with him.

Freddie Boston

Previous Selections: Round 1 – DE Noah Spence

50 Deion Jones LB, LSU

After addressing the pass rush in round one, the Falcons can go after another need on day two. Finding a coverage linebacker in this year's draft is of high importance, and Deion Jones of LSU could be a great fit.

Jones has electric speed and has the coverage ability the defense has been lacking. The LSU product can not only keep up with slot receivers, tight ends and running backs, but also turn his hips and make plays on the football.

Darron Lee is a popular first-round choice for Atlanta, but Jones can offer a similar skill set on day two and would allow the focus to be firmly on pass rush earlier.

Righteous Chester

Previous Selections: Round 1 – DE Shaq Lawson

50 Su'a Cravens LB, USC

The Atlanta Falcons recognize the need for fast and physical players.  They understand that hybrid players are excelling in the league as they play against a few within the division each year. Su'a Cravens is the selections for the Falcons in the second round. Su'a began his career as a Safety and started for USC as a freshman before being moved to linebacker. Su'a has football instincts and reacts to the ball very fast. He is physical, plays with leverage, and tackles well. He closes in  on defenders quickly and has the ability to blitz the quarterback. Su'a would make an instant impact on this team and fits Dan Quinn system in a variety of ways.

Stay tuned, as the writers will deliver their third round selections, in the coming days.

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