The Atlanta Falcons need defensive tackles. The Atlanta Falcons need defensive tackles. The Atlanta Falcons need defensive tackles. The Atlanta Falcons need defensive tackles. The Atlanta Falcons need defensive tackles.
2018 NFL mock draft: Taven Bryan can add disruption for the Falcons
Defensive tackle is obviously Atlanta’s biggest team need, and the Florida lineman fits.
Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
What direction do you think Dave Choate of The Falcoholic takes for the Atlanta Falcons in the SB Nation NFL writers’ mock draft?
26. Atlanta Falcons: Taven Bryan, DT, Florida
Choate: This is about the easiest choice I could have possibly had here. With Da’Ron Payne, Maurice Hurst, and Vita Vea gone, Bryan is the most intriguing, high-upside defensive tackle left on the board, and the Falcons desperately need one of those to pair with rising star Grady Jarrett. Bryan will need some work and needs to keeps his motor running at all times to be a force in the NFL, but all the physical tools are there, and he’ll be joining a terrific coaching staff that has done good work with the likes of Jarrett, Takkarist McKinley, and Vic Beasley in recent years. It helps that Bryan has has ties to Dan Quinn (who used to coach defense at Florida) and current Falcons Keanu Neal and Brian Poole, who played with him in college.
I can’t say it’s a slam dunk — Bryan does legitimately have some work ahead of him — but if he lives up to his promise this Falcons’ defensive line will be dominant. I’m very happy with the pick.
Analysis: Sometimes the obvious pick has to happen, and that’s the case here. Bryan is easily the top interior defensive lineman, and if you didn’t pick up on it, the Falcons need players there. Currently the Falcons have four defensive tackles, but Grady Jarrett is the only sure thing. Don’t be surprised if the Falcons use two picks in this draft on the position.
So just how well does Bryan fit? Like Jarrett, he’s a gap-shooting tackle and is better at creating disruption than simply occupying blockers and taking up space. There could be certain situations where one of them is taken out and a bigger tackle is put in the game. But more often than not, the two should be able to play together just fine. Bryan’s draft range probably starts at around the 19th pick and Dallas, so getting him here is good value. You just have to hope his potential is actualized. Bryan was never overly dominant at Florida, and was a little inconsistent, but Quinn is the type of coach who should be able to get him to work hard.
Dan Kadar’s top five players remaining
- 20. Josh Jackson, CB, Iowa
- 21. Derrius Guice, RB, LSU
- 22. Will Hernandez, G, UTEP
- 23. Orlando Brown, OT, Oklahoma
- 24. Rashaan Evans, LB, Alabama
That’s it for our trio of picks for the day in the SB Nation NFL writers’ mock draft. Once again none of my top five available players were picked, and I think it’s starting to become a me thing.
Coming up next is John Hendrix of Canal Street Chronicles making the choice for the New Orleans Saints tomorrow at 9 a.m. ET.
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