Falcons trade back, select Alabama RB in NFL.com mock draft
Picking in the top five of the upcoming NFL draft has put the Atlanta Falcons in the national spotlight since the end of the season. That attention won’t be going away anytime soon since the draft is still over two months away.
We’ve seen four different quarterbacks projected to the Falcons in mock drafts. Some analysts have the team trading up for Zach Wilson, others have the team drafting Justin Fields, Trey Lance or Mac Jones. For a team that’s not in desperate need of a quarterback, trading down actually makes the most sense for Atlanta.
Charley Casserly of NFL.com seems to be the only draft analyst who understands this. In his new mock draft, Casserly has the Falcons trading down to the Panthers’ spot at pick No. 8. The move makes a ton of sense with Carolina in desperate need of a quarterback and Atlanta needing more picks to fill out a very thin roster.
Casserly’s mock has the Falcons using the eighth-overall pick to select Alabama running back Najee Harris:
“The Falcons trade back and still get their top choice — a dynamic running back whom Arthur Smith can build his offense around. I know we rarely see running backs go this early these days, but Todd Gurley is a pending free agent and Atlanta has to have a strong running game if it’s going to get back to competing for a playoff spot.”
Many would argue the top ten is too high to take a running back in today’s NFL, and that might be true considering how many good backs are found in the middle rounds.
However, watching Harris play, it’s hard to dislike the idea of him in a Falcons uniform. The team has a huge need at running back and in Arthur Smith’s offense, the running game will be more than an afterthought.
In 2020, Harris rushed for 1.466 yards and 26 touchdowns on 251 attempts (5.8 yards per carry). He added 43 catches for 425 yards and four touchdown receptions for the eventual National Champions. Watch every carry from Harris’ dominant performance against Georgia in the video below.
