Atlanta Falcons 7-Round 2022 Mock Draft: Disruptors On The Edge

Round 2, 43rd Overall: Myjai Sanders, EDGE, Cincinnati

The Atlanta Falcons have really struggled to find consistent pressure at defensive end/edge for what feels like forever. The NFL Draft hasn’t yielded great results for them in recent years (Vic Beasley, Takk McKinley) but you have to keep swinging to get hits.

Atlanta double dips here in round two to get more speed on the edge. It starts with Myjai Sanders, who played out of position for the majority of the 2021 season with Cincinnati. When he’s able to rush from a wide alignment, he can use his first step, speed, and explosiveness to win around the arc and corner to create pressure. Sanders also has some power and pop from his initial strike at contact. Get him in the right spot as a rusher and you’ll see why he was highly regarded from summer scouting.

Round 2, 58th Overall: Boye Mafe, EDGE, Minnesota

We’re back on the edge trail again here at 59 in this Atlanta Falcons 2022 NFL Mock Draft, and this pairing would be a dynamic one in year one. Boye Mafe has been a ball of electricity at Minnesota for several seasons, but his play really started to peak down the stretch of the 2021 season.

Mafe has always had the first step explosiveness and burst to win around the arc, but he’s looked much better at using his hands at contact to counter. He can use a double hand swipe, a club move, and more to disengage and get off tackles when rushing the quarterback, and he showed that ability down at the Senior Bowl. His stock should continue to soar, and he’d be a great fit in Atlanta.