Who Should The Atlanta Falcons Take 8th?

I’m pumped.  The 2015 NFL Draft begins tomorrow at 8PM ET live from Chicago.  Our Atlanta Falcons will select 8th tomorrow night, looking for a premier pass rusher to star in Dan Quinn’s new defensive scheme.  Here’s my forecast for what I believe could very well happen.

There are three, maybe four scenarios in play for Atlanta: trading up to three to take Dante Fowler, Jr., hoping for Vic Beasley to fall to eight, or settling with Randy Gregory at eight.  I’d be okay with any of these three outcomes.  Or they could trade back to the early teens to take either UK’s Bud Dupree or UGA’s Todd Gurley.  This would be smart but unlikely, in my honest opinion.

Trading up to get Florida’s Dante Fowler, Jr. from Jacksonville seems likely as Falcons GM Thomas Dimitroff loves to move up the draft board.  If Assistant GM Scott Pioli and HC Dan Quinn believe that Fowler is their guy, expect Tommy to give Jags GM David Caldwell a buzz.

If Atlanta is not willing to part with future draft picks, they will have to hope that Washington does not take Clemson’s Vic Beasley with their fifth overall pick.  As a lifelong Falcons fan, Vic clearly wants to play for Atlanta.  If I was in the Falcons’ war room, I would highly recommend to avoid negotiating with the Redskins.  Sure, we could rob them blind like Rams GM Les Snead did back in 2012 with the pick swap to make sure RGIII was a Redskin.  But the long dysfunctional Washington front office is now paranoid, too.  Atlanta has to hope that Washington targets someone else at five to get Beasley.  If not, he’s surely the Falcons first round draft pick this year.

As for Randy Gregory of Nebraska, I think Atlanta’s front office would be more willing to assume his risk than Mizzou’s Shane Ray.  A coaching staff of Dan Quinn, Bryan Cox, and Jeff Ulbrich should have enough passion to light a fire under Gregory in training camp.  If Atlanta can’t work out a deal with either Jacksonville or Tennessee and Vic Beasley is already off the board, Atlanta might choose Gregory with their eighth overall selection.

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Yes, Thomas Dimitroff could move back to the early teens (Cleveland comes to mind immediately), but when has he ever done that?  It would be a pleasant surprise to swap picks with Cleveland at 12 and select either Dupree or Gurley there. I believe both SEC standouts can contribute right away in Atlanta and that future Browns’ pick is just an added bonus.  If I were TD, I definitely would entertain offers to move back for the right mid-first round prospect.

So in reality, we’re all in the dark together guys.  I have faith that the Atlanta Falcons will make the right selection tomorrow night.  I’m certain they will as Thomas Dimitroff’s job depends on it.  Any of these scenarios are defendable.  Please don’t take Shane Ray in the first round.  If his stock plummets, go for him in rounds two, three, or four.

ATL All Day will have all your Falcons, Bulldogs, Yellow Jackets, State, and Southern draft coverage.  Only 29 more hours until Tampa Bay is on the clock! Rise Up, ATL!