Falcoholic Roundtable: 2020 3rd round mock draft

We did it last year, and we’re back at it again this year ahead of the draft — welcome to the 2020 Falcoholic roundtable mock draft, where each writer will make his/her own personal selections for the Atlanta Falcons in the 2020 draft. Today, the second round is on tap.

Here’s how this roundtable will work: each writer participating in this roundtable will put on their general manager hat to make their selection for the Falcons at pick 78, and they’ll provide a brief analysis as to why they selected that player. The selection has to be somebody whom the writer thinks will realistically be there at 78.

We’ll assume that the team will stay at 78 with no trades for the sake of not getting too convoluted.

Please note that this is not a prediction based exercise, we will not be predicting what the Falcons will do during the draft (that’s borderline impossible to do given just how unpredictable the selection is every year). We are instead going to pretend to take control of Atlanta’s front office and make the selections we want to see.

You’ll see the writer’s name in italics, followed by their selection in bold, and analysis in block quotes.

You can find last year’s first round mock here, second round mock here, and third round mock here.

You can find our first round mock selections here, and the second round mock picks here.

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Adnan Ikic:

Previous Pick(s) - C.J. Henderson (CB - Florida); Julian Okwara (DE - Notre Dame)

Round 3, Pick 78: Logan Wilson (LB - Wyoming)

We complete the trifecta in covering all three levels of the defense in my mock draft scenario with the selection of Wilson, who would presumably step into Atlanta’s starting linebacker corps next to Deion Jones and Foye Oluokun on day one.

Wilson is one of the best tacklers in this draft (he registered at least 94 tackles in each of his four seasons in college). He also showcases very high football IQ and an advanced ability to diagnose what’s happening in front of him. He has the versatility to play on the inside or on the edge at the linebacker position, which enhances his value.

Some teams will be turned off to Wilson because he played his college ball at a smaller school and will already be 24 years old when the season starts. The Falcons need someone who can solidly fill in their vacant linebacker role and, while some mistakes are to be expected as he adjusts to NFL game speed as a rookie, Logan Wilson fits that criteria.

Cory Woodroof:

Previous Pick(s) - K’Lavon Chaisson (LB - LSU); Cameron Dantzler (CB - Miss. St.)

Round 3, Pick 78: Davion Taylor (LB - Colorado)

I’m tempted to just sell out to help the defense here. I don’t know if that’s what the Falcons are going to do, but I’d certainly advise it! The team decided to reach a bit here to get Taylor, who has a boatload of potential to be a really nice linebacker in the NFL, but might need some time to get there.

He can supplant Deion Jones and Foye Oluokun for now and play the role Oluokun had on defense last season when all three linebackers were deployed. He was ESPN’s Jeff Legwold’s 100th best player in the draft, which has been a nice feather in your cap in the past. Seeing him write the phrase “rare athleticism” and the word “dedication” close together really does scream Dan Quinn. I don’t know if the Falcons will actually spend three early picks on all defense like most of us want them to, but what’s mock drafting but a dream scenario?

Kevin Knight:

Previous Pick(s): Javon Kinlaw (DT - South Carolina); Jaylon Johnson (CB - Utah)

Round 3, Pick 78: Logan Wilson (LB - Wyoming)

With an impact DT in Javon Kinlaw and a Day 1 starter at CB in Jaylon Johnson, the Falcons now have a lot of flexibility with this third round pick. I could see the team going in a few different directions here. If a safety like Jeremy Chinn falls, I think he’d be near the top of the list at 78. As would a center prospect like Matt Hennessy, who the team reportedly loves. But the most likely pick is almost certainly LB, where there are a ton of quality options late on Day 2.

In the past, I’ve mocked the Falcons players like Texas Tech’s Jordyn Brooks and Appalachian State’s Akeem Davis-Gaither here at 78. But based on everything we’ve heard over the past few weeks, I’m going to lean towards Wyoming’s Logan Wilson with this selection. The Falcons have met with Wilson and by all accounts love his style of play, leadership, and competitive spirit. He’s a versatile prospect who can line up at any LB spot due to his size (6’1, 241) and athleticism.

Wilson is very much a jack-of-all-trades LB, and he’s quite good at just about every aspect of the game. He’s a physical tackler, has elite decision making and processing skills, and excels in zone coverage. However, he also has some limitations, particularly in man coverage. While Wilson is a good athlete, he’s not in the same league as someone like Deion Jones with range and long speed. But his overall versatility and ability to take snaps at SAM, MIKE, or WILL offsets his limitations, and I know Quinn will fall in love with his character. Wilson’s age (24) and small school background could cause him to fall a little farther than he probably should, dropping him right into Atlanta’s hands.

Dave Choate

Previous Pick(s) - C.J. Henderson (CB - Florida); Justin Madubuike (DT - Texas A&M)

Round 3, Pick 78: Logan Wilson (LB - Wyoming)

I can’t add much more than Adnan and Kevin already have above, but Wilson is a player that fits the Falcons well and has obviously been a linebacker of interest for them for a while now. His well-rounded game would make him the kind of one-man-solves-all fit for a linebacker group that typically runs pretty thin on bodies under Dan Quinn, as he can play wherever you need him to and do whatever you need him to at a pretty high level.

Atlanta needs quality defenders at every level, and adding Wilson to Henderson and Madubuike would mean the Falcons defense would be in much better shape in September—please let the season start in September—than it is today.

Evan Birchfield:

Previous Pick(s) - Javon Kinlaw (DT - South Carolina); Trevon Diggs (CB - Alabama)

Round 3, Pick 78: Jeremy Chinn (S - Southern Illinois)

With their third selection in the 2020 NFL Draft, I have the Falcons continuing to add talent to the defensive side of the ball. With Keanu Neal’s future uncertain and Ricardo Allen’s contract up after 2021, the Falcons could potentially add another safety to the mix with Chinn here. Additionally, Chinn has the size to play linebacker too, if needed. In his senior year at Southern Illinois, Chinn recorded 71 tackles, three pass deflections and four interceptions. I think the value Chinn adds here at pick 78 would be a great addition.