The Atlanta Falcons own the No. 16 pick in the upcoming NFL Draft on Thursday night and general manager Thomas Dimitroff has his eyes locked in on a few players.
"Honestly, we have a handful of guys that we think could be there at No. 16 that we really like," Dimitroff said. "Do we have our preference? No question about it."
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Whether or not the Falcons make their pick at No. 16 remains one of the biggest headlines heading into the week. According to several reports, the Falcons could be a team that tries to trade up.
Atlanta's main positional needs are the following: Cornerback, defensive tackle, defensive end and linebacker.
Dimitroff has a history of moving up to the get the player he covets in his 12-year tenure with the Falcons. He's traded up five times in the first round since taking over as general manager in 2008.
Cornerback Jeff Okudah, linebacker Isaiah Simmons and defensive tackle Derrick Brown are a few players Dimitroff could be targeting as those three players are widely viewed as top-10 caliber prospects.
If the Falcons were to stay put at No. 16, they could still very well get a player of high value.
"I feel like it's not just one round in that certain position, you can still find value at different rounds and still pick someone who is going to be very helpful for the organization and provide us the proper depth," Dimitroff said.
The Falcons have six picks in this year's draft and heading into a season where the expectations are to return to the postseason, they'll need to acquire players who can contribute right away.
