Florida DT Taven Bryan gets another Falcons mention

It’s long felt like Florida DT Taven Bryan was the most likely first round draft talent to land in Atlanta, considering his athleticism, his Dan Quinn-friendly intangibles and the obvious need at the position.

Well, the Falcons have once again been named as a team to watch to land Bryan here in a few weeks, this time by Bleacher Report’s draft expert Matt Miller.

Saying he’s potentially a top 25 pick might give fans a little bit of pause, because as we all know, the Falcons do not pick in the top 25. That’s a good thing in terms of the state of the franchise, but not a great thing if you want a guy who’s going to go a bit higher in the draft than you’d hope.

The possibility of the team trading up to get a top-flight prospect like Vita Vea or Da’Ron Payne has entered the conversation before, but the thought of Atlanta moving up the board to get Bryan? Well, that’s admittedly a new one.

The Falcons would be wise to stand pat in this draft and make their picks, as Quinn has repeatedly mentioned his feelings of how deep this draft class is at defensive tackle. But, if they really do feel Bryan has the potential of a J.J. Watt, then moving up makes sense in the long run.

To remind you, our Eric Robinson scouted Bryan back in January and had these thoughts before his monstrous combine performance.

Do not let his impeding development take away from what he brings to the table in Atlanta. Bryan could be a nice fit on the defensive line for the Falcons in the interior and at times as a base defensive end on run downs. A solid second round grade fits Bryan at the moment and his presence on the Falcons roster will provide another building block for the young defense.

Bryan’s development really shouldn’t worry anyone. The Falcons have spent three years of the Quinn era drafting and developing some potent talent, and impact guys like Vic Beasley, Grady Jarrett and De’Vondre Campbell needed a year to get their bearings before coming on strong in their sophomore seasons.

Bryan feels a little too obvious for Atlanta right now, and we’ve been burned by playing the favorite before. In 2016, we all kind of assumed the team would add another edge rusher or a new linebacker with the first pick, and then came S Keanu Neal. If you’ll recall, Neal wasn’t the most popular pick at the time, with many mourning guys like Shaq Lawson and Myles Jack sliding away from Atlanta’s grasp. But, that all turned out peachy, so no matter what happens, at least give the team the benefit of the doubt that they know what they’re doing.

So, another day, another Taven Bryan mention. Will he end up being our next Falcon?