2021 NFL Draft: Jets, Jaguars make trades in new 2021 NFL mock draft
By Kyle Edmond
Atlanta tries another pass rusher
Kwity Paye. 13. 44. Scouting Report. DE. player. Pick Analysis. Michigan
The Atlanta Falcons are no stranger to selecting edge rushers in the first round, but they have to do so again here because the others haven’t worked out. Just recently, the Falcons waived Takk McKinley, their first-round pick in the 2017 NFL Draft.
By releasing McKinley, Atlanta now has a bigger hole on their defense. McKinley’s release goes beyond the field of the play, but nevertheless, the Falcons will need to fill that gap. That’s where Kwity Paye comes in.
Paye is being looked at as one of the best edge rushers in the 2021 NFL Draft and there’s a chance that he could go much higher than this. In some cases, he’s received comparisons to the Bosa brothers.
If Paye continues to play at the level he is, then the Falcons should run the card up to the table if he’s available. They’ve lacked a strong pass rush specialist since John Abraham. There have been flashes, like Adrian Clayborn for a couple of games, but having someone game-in and game-out is something they’ve lacked. Paye would bring that production back to the Atlanta defense.
The Falcons aren’t as far off as their record shows. If they can add a player like Paye this offseason, they can get right back into the mix for the division.