The 2023 NFL draft is less than three weeks away and as you would expect, mock drafts are coming out at warp speed. The Atlanta Falcons hold the No. 8 pick for the second year in a row, but which direction will they go this time around?
Free agency allowed the team to upgrade its secondary, defensive line and add a quality backup quarterback. Still, there’s a lack of depth at a number of positions and most analysts aren’t sure what the Falcons are going to do. We’ve rounded up a handful of different mock drafts to see what the experts are saying.
Draft Wire 3-round mock draft
Draft Wire’s Jeff Risdon has the Falcons addressing needs in the first two rounds, then adding LSU defensive tackle Jaquelin Roy in the third round. Van Ness is becoming a popular projection for Atlanta over the last few weeks.
Touchdown Wire 3-round mock draft
- R1(8): QB Will Levis – Kentucky
- R2(44): DE Will McDonald – Iowa State
- R3(75): DE Felix Anudike-Uzomah – KSU
Levis’ NFL team will have to balance his attributes (great arm, toughness, mobility) with liabilities (consistency, mechanics, processing) that could have him out of the NFL sooner than later if he’s in the wrong system. Falcons head coach Arthur Smith’s offense, which leans on play-action, multiple tight ends, and the run game, would provide Levis with a good starting point in which he wouldn’t be asked to be the force mutilpier. — Doug Farrar
CBS Sports mock draft
With the top defensive player in the draft falling, the Falcons move up to address a need knowing he won’t be available at No. 8. Meanwhile, the Colts don’t mind moving down now that the top three QBs are off the board. — Tom Fornelli
NFL.com mock draft
I’ll tell you what I told the Colts: You should trade for Lamar Jackson. But since that doesn’t seem to be happening, let’s give you some help on the defensive line. You had trouble rushing the quarterback (31st in sacks) and stopping the run (23rd in run defense) in 2022, and Van Ness can do both. Put him on a retooled defensive line with free-agent signees Calais Campbell and David Onyemata, as well as incumbent stud Grady Jarrett, and you’ve got something. — Adam Rank
Pro Football Focus 3-round mock draft
Van Ness is a distinctly different type of edge than what the Falcons currently have. He has interior versatility and can be a hard edge-setter early in his career. — Michael Renner
ESPN mock draft
I thought about Iowa edge rusher Lukas Van Ness for Atlanta, given it ranked worst in sacks in 2021 and second worst in 2022. That said, the pass defense allowed a 67.8% completion percentage (28th) and lacks a long-term option opposite A.J. Terrell at corner. Casey Hayward is entering the final year of his deal and turns 34 in September. Gonzalez is 6-foot-1 and has 4.38 speed and plenty of on-ball production, bringing down four interceptions last season. — Todd McShay
