Atlanta Falcons: 5 Biggest needs to address in 2020 NFL Draft

3. Linebacker

Another position among the Atlanta Falcons defensive group that they will have to address in the NFL Draft on April 23-25 comes at the linebacker spot, a position that is in somewhat of a transition period.

During the offseason, Atlanta lost De’Vondre Campbell in free agency when he signed a one-year deal with the Arizona Cardinals. Campbell was a nice piece for the Falcons in 2019, anchoring the middle of the field among the defense during the course of the regular season.

With Campbell gone, that basically leaves Deion Jones as the top linebacker talent left on the depth chart in Atlanta, although there are some decent backup options behind Jones on the roster.

Overall, though, depth and perhaps overall star talent lacks at the linebacker position for the Falcons, and that could result in the team going out and drafting a prospect with one of their first few picks in the draft.

In NFL.com draft analyst Chad Reuter’s latest mock draft, he predicted that Atlanta could go with Clemson linebacker Isaiah Simmons with that selection, saying the Falcons would be able to move on from the departures of Campbell and Vic Beasley quickly with the addition of Simmons on the defensive side of the ball.

If Atlanta doesn’t end up going with a cornerback or an edge rusher with the first-round selection or one of its early round picks, look for the Falcons to address the linebacker spot early in the draft.