Who are the Falcons after in the middle rounds of the 2017 NFL Draft?

We’ve spent an enormous amount of time and energy on the Falcons’ first round pick because it is likely to be a key one for the team’s 2017 fortunes. There are five other selections to be made, though, and if the Falcons do what we want them to and land good players, they’re all going to matter.

Andrew Hirsh at the official team site has a list of five potential mid-round picks I think is very much worth checking out. He hits all the needs you’d expect on this list—though cornerback might be a bit of a surprise, and he does so with players that fit the Dan Quinn mold.

I want to talk about Xavier Woods and Larry Ogunjobi, in particular. The former is a free safety with tremendous ball skills who could be that third safety Dan Quinn is apparently after, and he’d come without a first or second round price tag, which is a big plus for a team that may be unwilling to go safety in the first round. Ogunjobi is a raw defensive tackle with tremendous upside, and given that the team does not particularly need another defensive tackle this year, he could have some time to marinate without seeing significant action. This team may be down both Dontari Poe and Ra’Shede Hageman next year, though, so he’d be a nice fit in Atlanta.

Keep an eye on these names on the second and third days of the draft, when the Falcons might be looking to add some promising talent at a lesser price. These players would certainly fit the bill.