Atlanta Falcons New Help: Defense in NFL Mock Draft

The Atlanta Falcons received some help on the defensive line from the Texas A&M Aggies in an ESPN.com 2022 NFL Mock Draft published on Tuesday.

According to Jordan Reid, who wrote his first mock draft for 2022, the Falcons would pick No. 9 overall and would select Aggies defensive lineman DeMarvin Leal.

The Falcons have plenty of needs as they try to rebuild their defense for the future. Those needs were apparent after the Falcons lost to the Dallas Cowboys, 43-3, as the Falcons seemed utterly unable to slow down one of the best offenses in the NFL.

Per Reid:

‘Leal is a consistent pressure generator; just check out his tape against Ole Miss on Saturday, when he had seven total tackles, two tackles for loss, a sack and a forced fumble. That's just a snapshot of his next-level projection. Although he likely won't be a defender who gets double-digit sacks in a season, his versatility, strength and ability to disrupt dropbacks are areas that Atlanta lacks up front.’

Entering this weekend’s games, Leal has 24 tackles and 6 1/2 sacks. Leal is a junior, which means he would need to declare for the NFL Draft.

The Falcons (4-5) are hosting the Patriots on Thursday night.

Reid had the Detroit Lions with the No. 1 overall pick and taking Oregon defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux. After that, the Houston Texans took Michigan edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson at No. 2, the New York Jets selected LSU cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. at No. 3, the Jacksonville Jaguars selected Alabama offensive lineman Evan Neal at No. 4 and the New York Giants selected North Carolina State offensive tackle Ikem Ekwonu at No. 5. The Giants’ pick, per Bell, is related to a three-team trade that he projects will allow the Giants to move into that position.

You can reach Matthew Postins on Twitter @PostinsPostcard.