 Welcome back to another edition of the Falcons audible presented by AT&T But this is a special pre-draft edition of the Falcons audible. I'm here with my guys Dave Archer and DJ Shockley I am of course Derek Rackley and we are gonna get into a lot of things that's gonna happen with the NFL draft Specifically for the Atlanta Falcons real quick before I let the guys talk because I know they're chomping at the bit It's been like three months that you guys had a chance to talk on this. Here's what we're gonna cover today We're gonna identify the key areas that the Falcons need to focus on in the draft at least what we think they are We're gonna actually talk about who the Falcons take at number eight our opinions once again We're gonna take a look back at Falcons free agency See where Atlanta tried to improve their roster get the guys take on where they feel like those guys potentially fit in To the 2022 action on the field and then we're gonna take a little dive into a sleeper pick somebody that may not be your Regular household name that Atlanta could pick up and maybe the third fourth fifth sixth seventh round that could potentially Impact the Falcons roster and their play on the field in 2022. So without further ado DJ. How are you man? DJ has not just been football he has been NASCAR He has been golf baseball basketball, you name it fun, but I'm glad to be back with y'all Arch how are you with your I mean we know you are in full mode here? He's got the binder. I feel ready to flip pages I thought I was trying to consolidate with my little my little notebook here Archer's got a whole binder with the whole entire league in it. I feel bad. Oh shock You know how it is. I you know you set a bar about five six years ago doing this and like Can I can I taper off for the people who can't see it is it is impressive Yeah, what's impressive to me and again, you can't see this is he's got the regular sheets of paper in the binder I don't know how you can flip pages without ripping them out I just don't have that finesse like when I turn the page. They just end up ripping out All right Arch step on the gun I'm gonna let you dive right into the three-ring binder right now as we talk about our quick reactions Not player position group. Okay, there's needs for the Falcons Position group you feel like Atlanta addresses with number eight in the first round. Yeah, I think we're needy guys There's no question about that. I think both of us are all three of us would agree with that But me when I begin to look at the numbers from last year your 29th in the league on defense You're 24th in the league on third down defense. You're 29th in the league on Red Zone defense I think you got to affect that side of the football. I want to I want to affect the defensive side So I'm looking defensive end. Yep I think that's no surprise anybody corner Yep would be number two for me And then if one of those really good offensive linemen fell then I would that's certainly something you consider But I like those two defensive groups suggested right away Yeah, definitely pass for us and getting after the quarterback sacks is something that has to improve next season DJ Where are you going position group? I mean it's hard to disagree with our chair because it's a need It's something that we all know has happened in 18 sacks last year last in the league That is a direct point to say we got to go get some guys We can get after quarterback and effective quarterback and then like I mentioned guys on the back end I know we sound a few guys here in free agency But you need that standout guy on the outside as well to go along with a J. Terrell. They didn't get the pass So I think both those positions will be absolutely Spotted I think Falcons fans will have to key in on these draft interestingly enough We have two quarterbacks on this side of the table that took snaps from offensive linemen That did not mention offensive line now I was not the defensive player However, I was a long snapper and tight end that spent many a times in meeting rooms with offensive linemen as well as tight ends And my position group is offensive line I just feel like if this offense is gonna score more points It has to be fixed in the trenches They've got to start adding more personnel that can beef up that position that can bring more productivity And this is a good year at the top of the draft for a few tackles again It all depends on how things shake out what ends up going on with draft day trades But I feel like if you got a guy like Marcus Mariota There's people that are mocking Malik Willis as a guy maybe a year or two down the road for Atlanta Or if it's a wide receiver Garrett Wilson of Jameson Williams Those guys cannot be effective unless the quarterback has time to get him the football So I believe offensive line is the position group that I need to start with I'm just saying I'm just saying your blood did spend a little bit of time there before I went to college All right, so let's dive into it a little bit more arch I'm gonna come back to you you mentioned that it's a needy roster That's true when you don't make the playoffs when you don't play up to the standard that you the coaching staff in the front office sets You have needs that need to be addressed in the offseason. This is one of the biggest times in the NFL draft So let's get into a little bit more of the needs you talked about pass rushing in corner But where else can Atlanta address in this draft? Not just day one throughout the entire draft to help them for next season Well, certainly wide receivers gonna come into play at some point I know another number of people have mocked Atlanta for a wide receiver in the first round And I could see why they would do that There's some good ones in this draft the thing that I love about the draft from a wide receiver standpoint Is there some really good ones day two? Maybe even day three that you could get that probably come in and immediately start here or one of the three receivers on this team So I think that it's a deep enough class where I'm not sure you have to squeeze a trigger that early on something like that But wide receiver Certainly immediately comes to mind for me as that need and then it would become offensive line for me Yeah, you obviously we've got the question marks with Calvin Ridley a couple of guys that have come in during free agency period DJ That maybe end up factoring into that wide receiver room But as we know the every position group grows between Signing people in the offseason then the draft and undrafted free agents a wide receiver room could end up having 13 guys In training camp that gets whittled down to five or six once you get to the active roster outside of wide receivers Where else do you think the team needs to address? I think we talked about earlier in that that secondary part of it where if you get a guy on the other side I know we signed Casey Hayes a outstanding player been around 10 years is gonna be tremendous For AJ trail on on that other side and bringing that experience and all But we talked about a few guys that could go with no rate or a few guys who can be in that top 15 Who are standout players in this draft who come in with that pedigree of there's some dogs They're gonna get after you they fit the same kind of mode as a AJ to real So I love the fact that you brought back a couple guys on the back end You still got some guys who are young in this secondary who you draft the last couple years But there's still another guy that I think if you combine them with Casey here You combine old AJ to real and you get one of those guys in the corner spot You're gonna be set up for a long time Especially in this league where you know, they want to throw the football we talked about artists Talked about the amount of receivers coming into this league the amount of receivers that are already in this league That are very dynamic if you got some guys on the outside that can cover and we know just like everybody else You play a lot of nickel and diamond in his league. So you need tons of corners who can play inside play outside And there's some of this drive that can do that Alright guys I'm gonna bounce this one back at you because we kind of talked about it a few minutes ago The fact that I'm sitting across the table from two quarterbacks. Alright, remember Matt Ryan The franchise quarterback was traded away the answer at least for now short term potentially has been Marcus Marietta Neither of you guys mentioned quarterback. Okay, I Want to know why and I'm sure some viewers and listeners also want to know why you're not targeting a quarterback right now He and I may feel very similar about this I think what you've done what Terry font know and Arthur Smith have done is they went out and got a guy That's got a chip on his shoulder Yeah, and I think you're gonna be able to look at guys like Carter coming off the edge or Evans or who are Casey Hayward These are guys that are not just trying to extend their careers People have kind of given up on them and I like your prove it deals right exactly and I think Marcus Marietta comes in here He's only 20 years old He didn't turn 29 till the middle of the season That's a young dude who was taken really early go back to learn So look at the first couple years of his of his career in Tennessee. He was solid if not Pro Bowl ask He was pretty good Injuries and some things got to him maybe a confidence scenario where he lost his job to Tanneill He's been backing up with the Raiders for the last two seasons. He's healthy. This dude's coming in with a chip on his shoulder I think he's gonna play really good football. I think we're in a solid spot there. Now is the future secure He could be the future. He's only 28 years old, right? But let him prove that he's not the future And sure you're gonna add maybe a guy or two Maybe a veteran out there before we get to training camp We know with Felipe Franks is coming back, but I think that this guy comes in with a Mode if I'm gonna prove that I just I deserve to be the guy here I should be one of the 32 guys that starts every Sunday, and I think he's gonna get it done I think it's a great point arch DJ. Sorry to interrupt you because he mentioned the word confidence, right? And I'm just wondering if you could put yourself in Marcus, Mariota's head You can say I used to play for this guy. Yeah, my former coach came and got me Yeah, you know what I'm saying like how much does that boost his confidence for him to come in granted The proof is in the pudding. He's got to put the production once he gets on the field But he's got to come into the saying this is my job The biggest thing that I take away from that. Yeah, you love the confidence But I think it's the maturity part of it as well that he even admitted During that time I wasn't doing the things that I should be doing to maximize my potential And then now I think it works both ways with Arthur Smith and Marcus Mariota is okay that first time It didn't work out the way they both wanted to work out But I think they both have learned from that situation and now Arthur Smith looks at it like, okay Now I know how to better prepare this guy going into this next season And he also mentioned, hey, I didn't go out and play my best football then and arch mentioned He's been backing up and for the radius for the last two years. This guy has He's learned a lot. He's matured during his time. He's already trying to find ways To have that bond with his teammates now getting with offensive line and trying to go out to eat Trying to figure out these guys But now like he mentioned, there's a chip on this guy's shoulder to prove to people that he is still that top quarterback That he was when he first got to Tennessee So this marriage I think is going to be a little bit different because they both have learned Okay, here's some different couple ways that we can Expand the things that he can do well and now we've come into a situation that he wants to prove it Even more and you guys say second chances the nfl is known for second chances at the quarterback position thinking about Alex Smith, Jared golf, even a guy like Ryan Fitzpatrick. I mean, he's probably gotten 17 second chances But he's stayed in the league and he's been able exactly tanny hill as well So those are great points. I just wanted to hear from our quarterbacks as to why quarterback was not a little bit more of a discussion I think it's a great explanation before we wrap this up dj. Let's make this another quick hitter We talked about the needs. I want you to rank the needs So one two one two three one two three four whatever it is In your opinion rank the needs that Atlanta needs to address in this draft I think the needs are one two on the defense side of the ball getting to the pack getting to the quarterback of pass Russia is number one and For one thing I want people to clarify or understand is when we say pass We're not to think about just a defensive end We talked about a guy like an outside linebacker who can put his hand in the ground and absolutely rush to pass her But also be a guy who can stand up and be an off the ball kind of defender So a pass rusher can be an outside linebacker or somebody who can put their hand in the dirt Pass pass rusher is absolute number one for me. I think it has to be I mean number two has to be the secondary All right pass rush secondary. How about you arch? I'm I'm walking in lockstep with him It's pass. It's it's a defensive end. It's corner and it's wide receiver. Got it All right, and if anybody's curious about mine mine's offensive line and pass rush So we are both we all of us are pretty much addressing the lines of scrimmage What you have to be strong in the nfl if you're gonna find success This episode in part brought to you by the home depot Everything you need for your next home improvement project is just a tap away on the home depot app The home depot app digital toolbox gives you access to how-to guides project calculators and image search So you'll know exactly what you need to pick up with the tap of the finger You can rent and reserve the right tools for the job Also browse through millions of items from top brands that you can have delivered right to your door Whatever your project find exactly what you need with the home depot app Download the home depot app today All right, we're going to dive into actual selections. All right, this is the um falcons audible presented by at&t You are now on the clock Dave archer. We need your selection Who are you picking at number eight in the 2022? Why you make that face? Why you make that face? Well, it This is going to be one of those hedge type. This is where you're put completely in the microscope, right? Okay, I think three edge rushers are going to come off the board before atlanta gets to pick and I think because of that The top rank corner is going to be sitting there and I'm going a little I'm going to put a little sauce I'm going sauce gardener at six three 190 a guy that loves to play physical He's an up in your face guy He could play both zone and bump and run man to man Watch this guy tackle. He's got a little nastiness about him But he's got great size got tremendous ball skills in his three years at since that eight interceptions He's a guy that's taking it to the house on interceptions. This is a guy that would be a great compliment No funds to k.c. Hayward. I think hayward will come in here be a great veteran influence on anybody that's in that room But I think you got those you got a j terrell and sauce gardener side by side one another I like the way that looks. Yeah, I don't think you have to apologize to anybody You get somebody like uh sauce gardener That's like your future out on the outside is a pillar and I mentioned this back a few months ago I got a chance to call the Cincinnati smu game Which was like late in the season right smu came into Cincinnati was ranked That was one of the teams that could potentially knock off Cincinnati So I start reading in preparation for the game and all I'm seeing is about a sauce gardener doesn't give up a touchdown Sauce gardener this that and the other I started watching tape on it And I was like this dude is for real And then just watch his assent and his name going to be called in the first round of the nfl draft To back up what you just said 159 coverage snaps Zero touchdowns given up. There you go. Is that a guy you'd like to have on your roster? All right, dj you are now on the clock. Do you want me to stall a little bit so you can I mean I've got us crumpled up the notes We'll see I went back because I wanted to see more of this this sauce gardener some more crazy stats He had I mean targeted 30 times this year 60 yards total How do you give him 60 yards total throughout the year? I mean it's He's unbelievable. Sorry go ahead rex. Sorry. No, okay, so we're gonna try it again. All right, so that is Dave Archer has sauce gardener going to the Atlanta Falcons now It's your turn who is going to the Atlanta Falcons at number eight in a 2022 nfl draft It's tough because I've waffled Back and forth with this pick and one of them is an offensive guy one of the defensive guy And because of what my man Dave Archer just said three are going to be gone from that defensive end spot And I think we have talked and stressed that we need somebody to rush the passer Why not go get the ACC defensive player the year who had 12 sacks 22 targets for loss this year Transfer from georgia couldn't get on the field comes to florida state and dominates in germain johnson I mean he would be an unbelievable pick I think right there eight and brings immediate impact to that off to that defensive line and gives you so much versatility I mean this guy has a quick first step. It does an awesome job of getting off. I mean he plays the run really well There's not many things that you can dislike about this guy So I would love to see him in this red and black iron man guy too It's a great selection by shock former dog that got his opportunity as shock said down at florida state 12 sacks This year iron man too 60 snaps a game he played at florida state. He wasn't coming off the field He stayed out there and played not only does that show that he is an every down player But it shows what the nfl wants to see Durability a guy that's going to be on the field because one of those high draft picks that spends his career in a training room Doesn't really get you any better as a football team if anybody's curious my selection at number eight I'm looking at right icky equanu from nc state. I told you i'm addressing the offensive line This now here's what I will tell you this from from some of the stuff that I got a chance to watch on him He's probably stronger as a run blocker. He's probably stronger interior right now He played out on the on the perimeter as a tack I think he's a little bit rough right now to contribute But in atlanta he doesn't necessarily have to contribute that tackle right now He could just focus on being a great interior offensive lineman Set the tone be that guy that helps move the line of scrimmage And then if later on in his career, he's shown the ability that he can be a great pass protector Then maybe you slide him out to the edge But right now I think he is one guy that helped solve a little bit of that issue on the interior of the offensive line I gave it a guy that you could plug in from day one and he's going to bring you some nastiness This guy likes to drive people down the field. He doesn't just go one or two yards He is literally going to stay with you until the whistle blows. Maybe even a little back Exactly right Just to back up what you're saying 476 throw attempts for nc state. He gave up three sacks all year long So he may be a little further along than people are giving credit for but what sticks out when you watch it Is he loves to mash people? He's a nasty dude. That's what I want in front of you There's no doubt Dave you're a quarterback. You got you got a sneak to get one yard. Which direction you're gonna go I want to call him mr. Iquani I'll call him that if he wants me to have the quarterback sneak. Let's just say he wears number 64 I'm going behind him. Okay. I'm going behind him. So there's a few players That we feel like could end up impacting the Atlanta Falcons day one after the first day of the nfl draft All right, let's take a little bit of a step sideways not backwards and talk some about the free agency editions I don't want to I don't want to minimize the importance of those guys as we know that free agency started about a month and a half ago Atlanta didn't necessarily make any huge splashes But dj, let me start with you a guy that atlanta either signed from a new team or Resigned from the current team because I will tell you this that terry fontano said some of your best free agent acquisitions Are guys that are currently in your building You know, they fit the fabric of your culture and you keep them in that jersey So which ones do you feel like one? Maybe two guys help move the meter on the free agency side You know, I think we've talked about them already a couple times and I love the fact you bring over kasey Hey, we're the team your vet in this league who's seen it who's done it who's been around a lot of different defensive schemes And now he gets a chance to to kind of mentor one of the top guys I think we all believe in the national football league and aj terrell So I love the fact you bring in his experience on that back end Along with aj terrell along with some of these other guys who are trying to find themselves in the national football league You got a richie grant who is trying to find his way Here's a guy who's been around some of the top safeties in the league He's just you know, coming from over to charge when they got a really nice safety over there that he can teach you Hey, this is some of the stuff this guy did in game that allows him to be successful I love the fact you bring in a guy of his caliber who is I think a character guy inside the locker room But also would teach these guys so much on the field as well as off the field Yeah, maybe that's one of the areas that that atlanta has missed on the secondary is that veteran presence That can help mentor guys because you think about just a few years before terrell was there They got the keanu kneels the ricardo allen's like that would have been that veteran mentorship That could have really taken his career to the next level. It's a good point Maybe haywords the guy that ends up doing that not to mention that not to say that's his only role Or atlanta he's going to go out there and compete for a starting position But he can also help the team in the secondary in the same breath. Dave. How about you? What free agency acquisition you like? Yeah, I'm looking at three guys to me And I talked about the chip on the shoulder and that's what I love what terry font know and arthur smith have done Is they've gone and got guys that aren't necessarily trying to extend their careers They've got they're going to get guys that maybe didn't quite get their shake wherever they were But they've got a chip on their shoulder to say I belong in this league and I belong at the highest possible level It starts with marcus mariotta I think that that's an outstanding hire at the at the quarterback position I think demir bird is another guy that has speed to catch the rock was in chicago knows this system He's going to come in immediately fit in and play. He's got some speed and he's a guy that really Kind of in the mix of kind of getting caught up in numbers He might have an opportunity here to step into the stardom and my number one guy is lorenzo carter How about the number about bringing the dog back home? He's excited as he can be to be back in georgia He's going to come off the edge. We need edge pressure I think look for lorenzo carter to be a pretty good addition Yeah, carter was his classic example of somebody that did not throw up great numbers at his previous stop But he's got the ability everybody's talking about his ability and if he gets in the right position The right system that he could take off I mean it could be a guy that pushes close to double digit sacks, which I mean would you say that they had last year 18 18 double digit from one guy would be pretty pretty nice So they talked about a couple of new faces I'm just going to mention to me what I thought were a couple of guys that are sticking around were great moves No, how about young waco? I mean the guy that was probably the most automatic player Special teams player Special teams player here Okay, y'all weren't laughing at all the points he scored for Atlanta last year though We were just saying that all right and then quarter arrow Patterson I mean we talked about this one at the end of the season guys and it was like We felt it was a no-brainer. He'd said that he wanted to stay here He wanted to play here And if you are a head coach and a general manager and you got a guy that impacted your team in such a positive way last year And he came out right away and said I want to be on this team Yes, he did Then that's the guy that you want to sign. He's not the one that's going to be non-committal Because he wants to go out in the market and he wants to see if he can get an extra 5 10 15 million from somebody else He said I know what my value is here I know what this last season did for my career and I want to start something special So to me you talk about two guys that were maybe the most consistent all season for Atlanta last year Are coming back in their jerseys and hopefully you bring some compliment pieces around them So it can be even better. So there's that's a good call There's a look right there at some free agency acquisitions and guys staying around that we felt like we're good moves from this franchise All right last topic before we let you guys go It's going to be that sleeper pick Everyone in nfl circles will tell you the guys that you draft Layton rounds even undrafted guys that come in and make an impact kind of define your tenure Especially in the front office, right? If you're terry fontano, you find a guy in a sixth round that comes in and he starts and he ends up being a pro bowler You dominated the draft right because sure the value that you got so maybe not sixth round, dave But let me start with you not necessarily a household name Who's somebody that you like that could come in and make an impact? Well, there's the first guy that comes to mind for me is a guy out of western kentucky named de angelo malone And I don't know if you know about him Maybe you do if you've been doing your research you'd probably do and know about him This is a guy that's probably a late day Day two pick so he's probably going to go in the first three rounds But probably in the third round somewhere 59 tackles for loss 32 and a half sacks Eight force fumbles. He's an outside linebacker like shock was talking about that edge rush may not come from a defensive end It may come from a guy You're talking about like a linebacker steps up that you'd get in that second third fourth round That could come off the edge of specialized pass order six four 240 you'll have to work on some of his abilities against some of these tackles in this league But I think this guy could be a diamond in the rough could you could fall into You know avon miller type player that could come off the edge that's used to getting to the quarterback 32 and a half sacks in his five years at western kentucky, you know And the interesting part about guys like that too is is a lot of times number one They're not instantly rich meaning that they're done having to worry about money for the rest Like sometimes these nfl players draft in the first round like their lives pretty much set, right? So he knows he still has to grind it every day He knows he's likely going to have to play on special teams But he also knows i'm one injury away from getting on defense and earning a starting position, right? And so those are the guys we talked about chip on our shoulder the one year contract Prove it guys Maybe your mid-rounders are also like you know what I thought I should have been a second rounder And I got drafted in the fifth round Well, I'm going to go show them that i'm a second round player with my play on the field So it's a great great. You're right. Great. That's it. DJ. Who do you got? So i'm gonna jump into a conference that arch knows really well I mean he's well versed in all conferences. We know that but this conference here I know that he knows and i'm going to parry on winfield from uh, Oklahoma He has to tackle yep six four two nine he ran a four eight And i'm gonna be honest I didn't see much of him during the season just didn't watch a lot of oklahoma But I started watching him at the senior bowl and he started to stick out for me Ended up being a senior bowl mbp. He's got an 86 inch wingspan Which if he gets drafted with the third longest wingspan in NFL history That's pretty cool. They had to be that long But this is a guy that that you can look and put his finger in the dirt Is a tough physical guy can get up field and really be a master on the inside guys We always talk about getting edge rushed on the outside. How about pushing the middle of the pocket We don't hate from the middle of the pocket to be collapsed on this He's one of those type of guys I think it'd be that kind of guy whether he goes third four fifth round We don't know but he's one of those guys I think that you got to keep your eye on it He could be a a big physical guy on that inside that can help you The interesting thing is is I always kind of make this joke and and and I think it's true But you know, I would say big 12 where defense is optional Because there's always so many sports, you know points scored But you still see a lot of really good individual players that come out of the big 12 And they end up making a huge impact and maybe win free is one of those guys I know you're right. The defense has improved and hopefully it will for in oklahoma Hopefully it will in oklahoma with venables being there now Defense will not be optional with him at the helm. I'm going to talk about one more guy That's probably going to end up being a third or fourth round pick So he's not necessarily a sleeper, but we're going back to Cincinnati and I'm going to go with wide receiver alec pierce This guy is six three Okay, ran a four four one at the combine and he jumped 40 and a half in the vertical So what that tells me six three, but you put him down in the red zone He's got that ability to go up over the top and make those 50 50 catches and come down and score points So and it's not just like he's a possession receiver He's still got the speed to get downhill and be able to take the top off of defense But he's not necessarily one of those guys you're thinking is going to be your number one or two He might be a three or four, but he could still be a really effective three or four So we've already talked about sauce gardener and alec pierce. We haven't even mentioned desmond ridder We didn't even get to a quarterback conversation. That's three really good players that are coming out of Cincinnati Sanders the edge player absolutely. Yeah, so Cincinnati is showing those guys just to me they come from that blue collar mentality They're not going to come in and be divas I think those guys are just going to come in and work and they're going to help your football team get better That's what they had to do the whole time. They got disrespected the whole time in college Uh, so that's all that we got here. I hope you guys enjoyed our little pre draft preview We threw out some names. We threw out some topics some positions groups some pics Christmas is coming baby. It's on Thursday. That's it. All right. Just a couple of quick notes We will be back on thursday night We'll give you a quick Kind of summary of the who the atlanta ended up with in day one Maybe it ends up being two guys. You just never know what happens on draft night. Okay So we'll be back after the first round and give you our thoughts on how atlanta did on day one of the draft But also check out the falcons final whistle as they will give you coverage to give you their thoughts On how everything shakes out for the atlanta falcons in day one of the nfl draft That's going to do it fellas. Great to see you guys once again. Let's do it again in a few nights All right, and we enjoyed you coming back to be with us is Continue to pull us up on all the different avenues that you get your podcast apple iTunes spotify youtube atlanta falcons.com or wherever you can find us We appreciate it and come back and find us for more on thursday night. That's going to do it for dj. Shockley. Dave Archer I'm derrick wrackley. Take care. This is the atlanta falcons audible presented by atnt