19. Atlanta Falcons - Tyleik Williams, DT, Ohio State
The Atlanta Falcons are an interesting team if you ask me. This team made a huge move to sign Kirk Cousins this past offseason to a four-year, $180 million deal. And now with just a couple of games remaining, the Falcons recently elected to send Cousins to the bench for poor play. Luckily, they also shockingly took a QB in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Some have argued that the Falcons’ plan at QB was actually genius, as the process was likely that they viewed Cousins as someone who could give them immediate production and also built for the future with Michael Penix Jr.
But why not just pass on Kirk Cousins and take Penix Jr from the get-go? They have a ton of money invested into Cousins at the moment. Anyway, Atlanta needs to fix their defense, so they go with Tyleik Williams from Ohio State in hopes that he can help beef up their defensive front for the present and for the long-term.
20. Houston Texans - Jalon Walker, LB, Georgia
At pick 20 in this NFL mock draft, the Houston Texans are on the clock and take Jalon Walker from Georgia. The linebacker goes right into the middle of DeMeco Ryans’ defense in H-Town. Houston likely came into this season with some very high expectations, but it has not been easy for this team in 2024.
Houston seems to have regressed a good bit this year and will limp into the playoffs with the fourth seed in the AFC. This team could easily target a starting OL prospect with their first-round pick, and honestly, that may be the best usage of their resources. CJ Stroud is running for his life and has hit a wall in year two.
However, the Texans opt to take Jalon Walker to help on defense. Houston could look to free agency to fix their OL, though.