Atlanta Falcons defense takes new shape in 7-round 2020 mock draft

The Atlanta Falcons defense needs a facelift and it gets it in this 7-round mock draft taking advantage of a rich 2020 NFL Draft class.

Expected to compete atop the NFC South, things didn’t go according to plan for the Atlanta Falcons in the 2019 regular season. They started the year 1-7 and Dan Quinn’s club, despite the talent on the roster with Matt Ryan, Julio Jones, Gardy Jarrett and others, was ultimately in a hole that was too deep for the team to climb out of.

Having said that, the Falcons were able to finish the year strong, going 6-2 over their final eight games of the season. Of course, that was only good enough for a 7-9 overall finish, putting Atlanta in second place in the division but well outside of the NFL Playoffs. Thus, it’s on to next year where they face a crucial free agency period and 2020 NFL Draft.

The Falcons are keeping general manager Thomas Dimitroff and Quinn in the fold for at least another year but this is a make-or-break type of offseason. Since making it to Super Bowl LI and losing in such heartbreaking fashion, this team has been on the decline. With the talent they have, that shouldn’t be the case. But that speaks to the holes on this roster that must be addressed.

Despite Quinn’s reputation as a defensive-minded coach, that side of the ball has been an issue for the Falcons in recent years, particularly the 2019 campaign. And while injuries can be part of the problem, another part is not having the depth to deal with injuries and the lack of coaching. That’s something Atlanta must fix in the 2020 NFL Draft.

Lucky for them, this is a rich draft class that will help them beef up on the edge, on the interior of the defensive line, in the secondary and even to potentially take some swings to help this offense reach their full potential moving forward as well.

Here’s how the Falcons can revamp their defense and get back in the playoff mix in the 2020 NFL Draft with a 7-round mock draft. (Note: This mock was compiled using The Draft Network’s mock draft machine.)