21. Arizona Cardinals - Landon Jackson, EDGE, Arkansas
The Arizona Cardinals are 1-1 thus far with a close loss and a blowout win. I had a feeling they were going to be better than people thought in 2024, and they truly look like a fringe playoff team through two games. I’ve predicted them to win eight this year, and that could set the stage for them to make a huge push next offseason. Well, that huge push could be capped off with a strong 2025 NFL Draft class.
They are currently slated to pick 21st, and in this mock draft, they’ll get Landon Jackson, an EDGE rusher from Arkansas. He’s 6’6” and had 6.5 sacks in the 2023 college football season. The length is there, and for Cardinals General Manager Monti Ossenfort, one position that may need more love than others this coming offseason is the pass-rush group, which has been shaky through two games.
Ossenfort has done a magical job thus far and has his roster on the brink of contention. Kyler Murray is also playing lights out and could muster some MVP votes this year. Do not rule this team out from continuing to hover around .500 and perhaps winning some unexpected games.
22. Atlanta Falcons - Harold Perkins, LB, LSU
The Atlanta Falcons are an interesting team. To me, heading into the 2024 NFL Season, they felt like the best team in the NFC South, but based on how the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and New Orleans Saints have played through two weeks, they may be the third-best team in the division.
The NFC South may have legitimately gone from one of the worst in football to one of the best in the matter of one offseason. If the Falcons can start stacking some wins as they should, watch out. It’ll be a treat to see how that division shakes out. On paper, the Falcons feel a bit more secured for the long-term on offense, so at pick 22 in this mock draft, the Falcons go with Harold Perkins, a linebacker from LSU.
The Falcons shockingly passed on all top defensive prospects in the 2024 NFL Draft to take QB Michael Penix Jr, who may not be able to become the full-time starter for a few more seasons. Falcons GM Terry Fontenot is either an evil genius or made a horrific selection there.