NFL Draft 2019: 7-Round Mock Draft projections for every team

There might not be a more perfect prospect/team fit in this draft than Clemson defensive tackle Christian Wilkins and the Atlanta Falcons. The Falcons have an obvious need for a defensive tackle alongside Grady Jarrett to help improve one of the league’s worst defenses in 2018.

After getting consistently pillaged last season on that side of the ball, Atlanta needs a culture change on defense. Along with being an outstanding football player, Wilkins’s best qualities might very well be his intangibles. He’s an excellent leader and locker-room guy, and will immediately bring a winning attitude to a unit in desperate need of it.

He might not have the ceiling of a player like Quinnen Williams, Ed Oliver, or even Mississippi State’s Jeffery Simmons, but he might have the highest floor among projected first round draft prospects. It’s hard to imagine a scenario where he isn’t at least a quality starting defensive tackle in the NFL.

The Falcons have nine picks in this draft, so don’t be surprised if they look at packaging a couple to try and move up a bit in the first round. The team has long coveted Oliver, but they should be satisfied to walk away in the first round with a player like Wilkins whose contributions will go far beyond just the football field.

Mississippi State edge rusher Montez Sweat and a cornerback like LSU’s Greedy Williams or Washington’s Byron Murphy are also likely to be considered here.