Atlanta Falcons take a big risk in a new 2025 NFL mock draft but it would give them a chance to stick it to a divisional rival

"The Atlanta Falcons must improve their defense. They were one of the worst tackling teams in the NFL last season, but drafting Jihaad Campbell could certainly help with that. Campbell has the range to cover running backs and tight ends well, then rush the passer on the very next play with high efficacy. Plus he's a 95th percentile athlete among NFL linebackers. Campbell likely won't go much higher than this given the latest intel and mock draft data, but it makes sense to land here in Atlanta."

- New A to Z Sports mock draft

Jihaad Campbell is one of the top players in this year's draft class. The dynamic linebacker has risen to the consensus top off-ball LB in the class, and there was real traction for him to be a top 10 pick after the NFL Scouting Combine. Sadly, it was discovered that he needed shoulder surgery, which has now impacted his overall market, with his status for training camp in doubt.

The Falcons need more game-changers on defense, and even if it takes a couple of weeks, Campbell is worth that risk. He would be able to wear the green dot in head coach Raheem Morris' defense and would be a Swiss army knife-type player for him. He can drop back in coverage and affect the passing game that way, but he can also be used as a blitzer effectively. Opposing QBs won't ever be comfortable with Campbell on the field. The icing on the cake here is that it's been reported by multiple people now that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are insanely high on Campbell, some even wondering if they could look to trade up for the talented LB. So, the Falcons would get a dynamic player and steal a player high on an NFC South rival's draft board. It doesn't get much better than that.