Shaq Lawson: Atlanta Falcons draft profile

Shaq Lawson is an All-American defensive end for the Clemson Tigers. Would the Atlanta Falcons have interest in taking the pass rusher at No. 17 overall?

With the College Football Playoff National Championship going on tonight in Glendale, Arizona, it makes sense to see if there are players either on the Alabama Crimson Tide or the Clemson Tigers that the Atlanta Falcons could have interest in this year’s upcoming NFL Draft. One player to watch for on Clemson is junior defensive end Shaq Lawson, who will enter the 2016 NFL Draft and likely go in the first round.

The All-American pass rusher for the Clemson Tigers will do everything in his power to play in the National Championship despite dealing with a knee injury. Shaq Lawson has already announced his intentions of entering the 2016 NFL Draft a year early and the National Championship will mark his final game with the Clemson Tigers.

The Atlanta Falcons will look to improve their defense with their No. 17 overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft, with as they have concerns at safety, linebacker, and on the defensive line. Lawson is certainly a first-round talent, but it is up in the air if head coach Dan Quinn and general manager Thomas Dimitroff will want to double down with consecutive first round picks out of Clemson University. The Falcons drafted 2013-14 All-American pass rusher Vic Beasley No. 8 overall in the 2015 NFL Draft.

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However, the Atlanta Falcons are in dire need of developing their own pass rush and talent can act as a panacea despite in congruencies with potential scheme fit. Beasley plays the outside linebacker/defensive end pass rushing hybrid position of LEO. Lawson could help bolster the defensive line as an all-around strong player in both run stuffing and in getting after the quarterback.

CBSSports.com said about Shaq Lawson that his “compact frame and power make him equally effective against the run and the pass, where he shows surprising initial quickness and agility as well as a terrific motor.”

With Dan Quinn being a defensive line coach that loves ‘initial quickness’ and players that can do many things, he may want to draft Shaq Lawson should he be on the board at No. 17. The Atlanta Falcons could use more players on the defensive line that can play on any down, run just in obvious passing or run stuffing situations. At 6’3″, 270 pounds, Lawson could stand as a long-term replacement on the edge for either Tyson Jackson or Jonathan Babineaux, should the organization wish to get younger at defensive end in 2016.

Lawson may have great continuity from playing two years with Vic Beasley at Clemson, but fans may not want the Falcons to take players at similar positions from the same school in back-to-back first rounds. That would put a ton of pressure on Falcons assuming that Clemson defensive coordinator Brent Venables’ passing scheme can adequately translate to the NFL level.

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While Shaq Lawson could come in and compete right away on the defensive line, I have to believe that the Atlanta Falcons will have a few guys higher up on their draft board than Lawson. However, the thought of pairing him again with Vic Beasley on defense in Atlanta stands as a nice tertiary option for the Falcons should they ultimately go in that direction at No. 17.

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