For years Atlanta fans have wanted the Falcons to draft a pass-rusher in the first round. For years Falcons fans have wanted Atlanta to draft more Georgia players in the earlier rounds of the NFL draft. On The Morning Shift, Mike Johnson and Sam Crenshaw explained why this might be the year the Falcons do both.
Mike recalled what happened last year when reports came out that a contingent of Falcons personnel went to Washington to see Michael Penix Jr., and he admits he thought the Falcons were there just to see receivers like Rome Odunze and not there to necessarily Penix. Well, we all know how that played out.
Mike also recalled the year before that when reports came out that the Falcons took Bijan Robinson to dinner and he thought they wouldn’t draft a running back because Tyler Allgeier was coming off of a 1,000-yard season. We also know how that played out.
Mike asked Sam if this is the year to believe where there’s smoke there’s fire, and if this is the year the Falcons will draft a Georgia player after there was heavy Falcons representation at Georgia’s Pro Day. He further noted Mykel Williams posted the Falcons facility on his Instagram story earlier this week showing he was in Flowery Branch. Falcons assistant general manager Kyle Smith and defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich were among Falcons personnel at a workout by Jalon Walker and Williams in Athens Thursday morning.
“If this is a smoke screen this is a pretty elaborate smoke screen if it’s really not there right? I gotta think it’s something there, and you know Mykel Williams to have worked out you know for yesterday and then to have visited Flowery Branch you’ve gotta think he’s someone that they're looking closely at, he provides something that the team needs first of all, so I think that’s what it looks like,” Sam said.
There’s obviously no guarantee that Williams or Walker will fall to the Falcons at 15. If one or both of them are there for the Falcons, however, there’s a very good chance 2025 will be the year the Falcons draft a Georgia pass-rusher with their first-round pick.