Mel Kiper mock draft: Atlanta lands a pass rusher

With Mel Kiper’s long history of draft expertise and stunning hair, we do have to pay attention to his mock drafts, even if they wind up being wildly inaccurate. That’s particularly true when he has the Falcons going after a player we find intriguing.

Harris is one of the better pass rushers in this class, a terrific athlete who needs work on his technique and flexibility to really deliver at the NFL level. The Falcons could pair him with Vic Beasley and put together a pretty solid rotation—frankly, they already have one—and probably have quite a bit of success in the near future. Like Beasley, I anticipate he won’t have a huge rookie season, but he’d be another key piece of the defensive foundation Dan Quinn is building. If the Falcons address defensive tackle in free agency, the chances of someone like Harris landing here increase.

You’ll recall that the Falcons went through a brief love affair with Missouri’s football program, drafting both William Moore and Sean Weatherspoon and enjoying a few years of terrific performances from both players. Maybe they’ll do the same this year, with Harris hopefully enjoying a longer career than either Moore or Weatherspoon.

Look for our Harris scouting report soon, and file that name away. You may hear it called on draft day.