With the free agency frenzy slowing down and the 2017 NFL Draft just over a month away, several mock drafts have been updated to reflect team needs.
So who do the draft experts have Atlanta taking with the No. 31 overall pick?
Daniel Jeremiah and Bucky Brooks of NFL.com have the Falcons selecting outside linebacker T.J. Watt out of the University of Wisconsin.
Watt put together an impressive senior campaign notching 11.5 sacks, 63 tackles (15.5 for loss), four passes defensed, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery and one interception returned for a touchdown.
Jeremiah believes Watt's work ethic coupled with his athleticism gives him a "tremendous upside as a pass rusher."
Watt was one of the combine's top performers in the following drills: vertical jump (37.0 inches), broad jump (128.0 inches), 3-cone drill (6.79 seconds), 20-yard shuttle (4.13 seconds) and the 60-yard shuttle (11.20 seconds).
ESPN's draft analysts Mel Kiper and Todd McShay selected different players for the Falcons.
Kiper believes Atlanta will select defensive end Taco Charlton. The Michigan standout possesses the versatility that head coach Dan Quinn and general manager Thomas Dimitroff like from their players. The 6-foot-6 pass rusher switched between left end and right end through various points of his senior season, recording 9.5 sacks.
Charlton is projected to be most effective in a 4-3 defensive scheme, one of the reasons this pairing makes sense on a number of levels as this is the defense Atlanta runs.
McShay on the other hand believes Atlanta will use their first-round pick to bolster the offensive line, adding Alabama tackle Cam Robinson.
Despite playing tackle primarily for the Crimson Tide, McShay believes the best fit for Robinson in the NFL could be at guard, a position the Falcons currently have a need at. Robinson played for Atlanta's new offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian at Alabama last season. At 6-foot-6 and 322 pounds, Robinson has the size and strength to be a versatile player along the Falcons' offensive line.
