Falcons Predicted to Make NFL Draft History in First Round

Senior reporter Tori McElhaney of Atlantafalcons.com released another NFL mock draft on April 3. With that, McElhaney is back to where she started -- predicting a Georgia Bulldogs edge rusher to the Atlanta Falcons in the first round.

In her April 3 mock draft, McElhaney projected the Falcons to select Jalon Walker at No. 15 overall.

"What can I say except, 'You're welcome,'" wrote McElhaney.

"I told you I would find a way to get Walker to the Falcons, and I am happy to report I did. Now, did I do it in a realistic way? TBD. But I did it nonetheless. And I think I would be hard pressed to find someone who doesn't think Walker can help this defense immediately. Someone that versatile in this defensive unit? Yep. Book it."

This was McElhaney's fifth mock draft of the offseason. In her first mock, she predicted the Falcons to select Georgia's other top edge rusher -- Mykel Williams.

"Do you like this pick? For how many questions and tweets I get about the Falcons never drafting Georgia players, you better. Nah, I jest. Truly, though, this feels like a very intriguing pick for Atlanta," wrote McElhaney on March 7.

The Falcons have received criticism in recent years for not drafting more Georgia players. It's rather clear McElhaney is aware of the criticism and writing to her audience.

The Falcons have never drafted a Georgia player in the first round. Meanwhile, the Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles have drafted three Georgia players in the first round the past three drafts.

That's not to say the Falcons should select a Bulldogs prospect no matter what this spring. But either Williams and Walker would fill the team's biggest roster need.

The Falcons were ranked 31st in sacks last season with 31. Atlanta hasn't finished in the top half of the league in sacks since its last postseason appearance in 2017.

McElhaney, a Falcons employee, is giving Atlanta fans hope that the team will turn to a local star in the 2025 draft to fix the pass rush. McElaheny has projected a Georgia edge rusher to the Falcons in the first round in 40% of his mock drafts.

The Falcons senior writer, though, will likely fill out two or three more mock drafts before the first round on April 24. Typically, teams have their mock drafts project as many different prospects to the team as possible to cast a wide net of possibilities.

In her other three released mock drafts, McElhaney predicted the Falcons to select Texas A&M's Shemar Stewart, Texas' Jahdae Barron and Marshall's Mike Green.

Other than Georgia players, there's an early theme in her first five mock drafts. Of the five players McElhaney has projected to Atlanta, Barron is the only one not an edge rusher.