Bryan Bresee Ken Ruinard / USA TODAY NETWORK

Way-too-early Atlanta Falcons 2023 NFL Draft preview

By Eric Smithling | Last updated 1/11/23

The 2023 NFL Draft is April 27-29 in Kansas City. Here is the projected first-round order, per Tankathon.

2022 record: 7-10 | First-round pick: No. 8 | Team needs: DL, LB, CB, WR

Snapshot: The Falcons outperformed expectations after parting ways with QB Matt Ryan last offseason. The team has budding stars at RB (Tyler Allgeier), TE (Kyle Pitts) and WR (Drake London) and a young QB (Desmond Ridder), who's worth an extended look next season. The defense, however, has holes. In 2022, the Falcons ranked 31st in sacks (21) and 23rd in rush defense (2,214 yards).

Potential first-round picks: Bryan Bresee, DL, Clemson; Myles Murphy, DE, Clemson; Tyree Wilson, DE, Texas Tech

The top defensive prospects -- Alabama's Will Anderson and Georgia's Jalen Carter -- will be off the board when the Falcons pick, but the team won't be reaching by selecting either Bresee, Murphy or Wilson if they are available.

Bresee showed fantastic burst off the ball at Clemson and can excel as a pass rusher and as a rush defender. On this play in the 2020 College Football Playoff against Ohio State, Bresee (No. 11) made quick work of No. 78, getting off the block and making the stop in the backfield.

Bryan Bresee stopping the run at 5 tech pic.twitter.com/MDujouZn7Y
— Tyler Browning (@DiabeticTyler) January 7, 2023

Murphy is best off the edge, as he demonstrated on these two plays against Florida State:

Clemson junior edge rusher Myles Murphy is an absolute force.

He displays a tremendous combination of athleticism, hand usage and pure power. He easily has the profile of a future top-15 pick. Game-changer. pic.twitter.com/HIgzX2QdIs
— Luca Sartirana (@SartiranaLuca) October 18, 2022

Wilson has less burst off the snap, but he makes up for it with his physicality. This play shows Wilson -- No. 19 -- standing upright as the ball is snapped and then going full steam ahead in disrupting the pass attempt, causing an incompletion.

I'm not as high on Tyree Wilson as most, but I understand the infatuation. The power he can generate when he locates his hands properly and explodes through a blocker is truly impressive. He's late out of his stance a lot as well, like on this play pic.twitter.com/WrhhBIrVuR
— Daniel Harms (@InHarmsWay19) January 8, 2023

In a wide-open NFC South, any of these three could be the disruptive force who helps the Falcons make a quick improvement.

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