Atlanta Falcons 2022 Mock Draft: Filling Out A Struggling Roster
By Evan Bachman
After an embarrassing 43-3 loss to the Cowboys last Sunday, Atlanta Falcons fans are keeping an eye on the 2022 NFL Draft.
It has been an interesting season thus far for the Atlanta Falcons as they sit at 4-5 through 10 weeks. With the current state of the NFC being five very good teams and two of the wild card spots that are kind of up for grabs, they aren’t out of the playoff race, however with how they’ve looked this season it’s obvious this team is far from a super bowl contender.
While the Atlanta Falcons are 4-5, three of those wins have come against teams that are currently in the top six of the draft order and they are 25th in points scored per game and 31st in points allowed per game. It’s a unit that has found some recent success on offense, as Matt Ryan is getting more comfortable in Arthur Smith’s offense, and guys like Kyle Pitts and Cordarrelle Patterson are stepping up.
That said, the Atlanta Falcons have many holes that need to be filled on their roster, so without further ado let’s get started.
player. Scouting Report. Pick Analysis. Edge. 1. USC. Drake Jackson. 44
Round 1, 11th Overall: Drake Jackson, EDGE, USC
The biggest need for the Atlanta Falcons is building a strong pass rush. Through nine games this season, they’ve only recorded 11 sacks, which is last in the entire NFL. Obviously, finding guys who can pressure the quarterback should be a priority for them this offseason and Drake Jackson can do just that.
Jackson checks a lot of the boxes of what you want to see in a first-round edge rusher. He’s very projectable as a pass rusher as he has good size, length, athleticism, and strength, also he has been productive in his career.
He has been dominant as a pass rusher for the Trojans so far this season as he’s registered 24 pressures, six sacks, and carries an 89.5 pass rush grade on PFF through nine games.