If the Falcons somehow whiff on top options at the safety and/or linebacker positions in this draft, there will be a lot of unhappy fans. They'll also need a backup plan.
At safety, as we've discussed, the obvious choice is one of the veteran safeties still lingering on the market, with some combination of Kemal Ishmael, Robenson Therezie, and Charles Godfrey filling in at strong safety serving as the reserves or perhaps as the starters, if the market really thins out over the next month. Ricardo Allen should have free safety locked down for 2016, at the very least. That's hardly ideal, but if the Falcons do land a couple of impact players in the front seven this draft to go with Derrick Shelby, Courtney Upshaw, and a (hopefully) improved Vic Beasley, Grady Jarrett, and Ra'Shede Hageman, they may just be able to make it work for another season. The cornerback corps is strong enough, at least.
The team's Plan B at linebacker is less clear. They'll likely start some combination of Courtney Upshaw, Brooks Reed, Philip Wheeler, Sean Weatherspoon, and Paul Worrilow, which would represent one of the league's least-inspiring corps. They could also poke around for a late cut, but at this point, your bed is made if you can't get a player you like in the drat, which is why I expect the Falcons to make linebacker a huge priority this April. There simply isn't enough speed and talent currently on the roster for Atlanta to ignore the position and not pay for it again in 2016.
What's your preferred backup plan?