NFL mock draft: Seven rounds for the Falcons, and a complete picture starts to emerge

Is it still mock draft season? You bet it is! We're now close enough to the draft that everyone feels comfortable floating full seven round mocks, and while that's an exercise in futility, it's also something of an opportunity for us.

The advantage of a seven round mock, even if it's inevitably going to be woefully off-base before all is said and done, is that we can see how a plan might unfold for Atlanta. The latest from Chris Trapasso is a good example of a balanced draft that manages to hit on most of the Falcons' major needs throughout seven rounds, and I thought it would be instructive to take a look.

Here's the full list of picks from Trapasso:

DE Randy Gregory, Nebraska
ILB Stephone Anthony
G John Miller, Louisville
WR Darren Waller, Georgia Tech
CB Kevin White, TCU
S Chris Hackett, TCU
OL Rob Crisp, NC State
WR Daron Brown, Northern Illinois

Trapasso clearly prioritized inside linebacker over free safety, a move I'm not sure I can strictly endorse. But this draft does a nice job of giving the Falcons some interesting young pieces on defense, with Gregory and Anthony liking starting right away, and adding a legitimately intriguing option at left guard. Waller has the physical tools to become a very useful wide receiver, too.

What I appreciate about seeing a full mock laid out is how easy it is to critique the overall plan, and to sort out my feelings regarding said plan if the Falcons execute on it. I'd ultimately be a little disappointed with this haul because I think it leaves the Falcons with significant question marks in the secondary, but it does address some major needs in the first four rounds. Given the likelihood of snatching starters out of the last three rounds of the draft, I'd probably warm up to this class pretty quickly.

Got a seven round mock in you?