Solid Starter
Richie Grant, S, Central Florida – Round 2 
Under former head coach Dan Quinn, the Falcons featured a fast defense that centered on finesse and lacked physicality. That is about to change given the addition of Grant, as he is a real striker who brings a violent presence to the middle of the field with the instincts and ability to make game-changing plays. The 6-foot, 200-pound safety could instantly help change the tone of the Atlanta defense.
Grant has some pass-coverage limitations, but he makes up for that with a lot of big plays. While Grant is not a man-coverage safety who can line up against slot receivers or play as a deep free safety, he finds ways to factor in coverage. Grant is a good zone-coverage safety in the middle of the field who does a fantastic job of reading a quarterback’s eyes to get in position to create turnovers. With excellent instincts, Grant seems a step ahead and does a fabulous job of impacting the ball. He shows advance recognition for routes, and offenses are going to repeat some of the same routes.
There is no doubt that Grant has good ball skills and is dangerous to snatch the pass away. He plays the ball well and has rare ball skills for a strong safety. On top of his ability to pick off passes, Grant is a threat to force fumbles via his violent hitting ability and his instincts lead to him creating fumbles for his defense.
Grant is a hard hitter who will really get physical and stick receivers with some violence. In the middle of the field, Grant will make receivers pay, and he is a real physical presence.
That physicality leads to Grant being a good run defender. He will come downhill and make tackles on running backs, definitely showing a talent to be the eighth man in the box. With his strength and physicality, Grant is a reliable tackler who shows a nice technique to get low and wrap up while also delivering some force.
Like any college player, Grant could use some developmental time to adjust to the NFL. He is going to see a big jump in the caliber of wide receiver he is facing compared to at Central Florida. Before long, however, Grant should emerge as a good starting strong safety for the Falcons and be a core building block to them fielding a tough defense in the years to come.
2020: Marlon Davidson, DT
2019: Kendall Sheffield, CB
2018: Calvin Ridley, WR
2017: Sean Harlow, G
2016: Austin Hooper, TE
2015: Vic Beasley, DE
2014: Jake Matthews, OT
2013: Desmond Trufant, CB
Most Likely To Bust
Jalen Mayfield, OT, Michigan – Round 3 
The 2021 NFL Draft was first draft for the Falcons under general manager Terry Fontenot, vice president of player personnel Kyle Smith, and head coach Arthur Smith. They put together an excellent class, making this a tough choice. I do not believe Mayfield will bust for Atlanta, but rather that he will turn into a solid starting-caliber guard or right tackle in the NFL. Mayfield simply carries the most risk of Atlanta’s early-round choices from the 2021 NFL Draft.
There are aspects of Mayfield’s game that need improvement. For one, he needs to refine his technique for taking on NFL defensive linemen. Mayfield lunges after defenders at times, and he can let his weight get too far over his toes, which leads to him missing some blocks, especially in space. There are also times where he gives up up ground in bull rushes. Mayfield gets too wide with his hands, which allows defenders to get into his chest to rock him back. While Mayfield has some flaws that lead to him giving up ground, he shows nice recoverability and an ability to re-engage defenders before a rush becomes catastrophic.
Like any college player, Mayfield will need to adjust to the next level, but he has the ability to become a starter. He could turn into a solid starter at guard or right tackle, but his technical issues could lead to him not panning out if he doesn’t work hard to become a good pro.
2020: Matt Hennessy, C
2019: Kaleb McGary, OT
2018: Ito Smith, RB
2017: Takk McKinley, DE
2016: Deion Jones, LB
2015: Jalen Collins, CB
2014: Dez Southward, S
2013: Levine Toilolo, TE
Potential Boom Pick
Kyle Pitts, TE, Florida – Round 1 
This was a no-brainer; Pitts was one of the top-two players in the 2021 NFL Draft along with Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence. Pitts could be a generational talent and truly positionless player who is a coverage nightmare in the NFL. As long as Pitts stays healthy, I think he is going to become an elite pro.
In the odd 2020 season impacted by the pandemic, Pitts absolutely dominated the competition, catching 43 passes for 770 yards and 12 touchdowns over only eight games. He missed a few games with injury, was held out versus LSU to protect him for the SEC Championship, and sat out the meaningless bowl game. Pitts dominated Ole Miss with eight receptions for 170 yards and four touchdowns to open the year. He had other monster games including against Kentucky (5-99-3), Tennessee (7-128) and Alabama (7-129-1). Based on what Pitts was averaging, if he had played a full 13-game season, he was producing on a pace to total 70 catches for 1,252 yards with 20 touchdowns.
Week after week, NFL teams saw everything they could hope to see out of a receiving tight end. Pitts showed the speed to run past defensive backs and get open vertically. His 71-yard touchdown against Ole Miss was astounding with the way he ran away from the defensive backs, who couldn’t catch him from behind. All year, Pitts used his size to win 50-50 passes, showed good hands, ran excellent routes, and was utterly unstoppable. Pitts went up against some secondaries that were comprised of future NFL competitors, including Georgia, Kentucky, Texas A&M and Alabama. Pitts dominated all of them.
As a receiver, the 6-foot-6, 245-pound Pitts is a once-in-a-decade prospect who is a mismatch nightmare, similar to a Travis Kelce or Calvin Johnson. Pitts is fast for a tight end and really fires off the ball to get into the secondary. Not only will Pitts quickly find openings downfield, but he is a smooth mover who glides through the defense and is able to generate separation from his route-running as well. He has shocking change-of-direction skills with a burst out of his breaks that takes defensive backs by surprise and creates separation. Pitts has impressive suddenness and explosiveness for a tight end, and really, he moves like a big wide receiver.
On 50-50 passes, Pitts is an amazing weapon, and he is never really covered because of his ability to make acrobatic grabs over defenders. Pitts uses his tall and long frame to make catches over defensive backs, and he is a tremendous weapon in the red zone with his size-mismatch ability. With his leaping ability and superb body control, Pitts has a huge catch radius, so even when defenders do everything right, Pitts can make big plays above them. He could end up among the best red-zone players in the NFL.
After the catch, Pitts’ speed and agility allow him to pick up good yardage, and he put together some superb runs after the catch as a sophomore and junior. Defensive backs can’t cover Pitts’ size and even his speed, athleticism, and agility were too much for SEC cornerbacks, who he burned constantly. Linebackers have no prayer of covering Pitts, as he is way too fast and athletic for them.
Pitts runs excellent routes and is adept at finding the soft spot in zone coverage. He tracks the ball very well and shows impressive hands to snatch passes out of the air. With soft hands, Pitts does not have to body catch and is very calm and fearless to make receptions with defenders closing in on him. His great athleticism lets him make some astounding highlight reel catches look easy.
“Pitts is a generational talent and really is a positionless player. We think he runs well enough to play wide receiver and think he could be a poor man’s Calvin Johnson at wide out,” said one director of college scouting during the spring. “On top of being a freak athlete, he’s a great kid and hard worker. So you know he’s safe to pan out into being a special player when you combine his intangibles with his rare skill set.
Sources from multiple teams said Pitts is a high intangible player who teams will love having in their building with his work ethic along with being a good teammate. The Falcons might want to protect Pitts from injury by lining him up wide and reducing him having to block defensive linemen and linebackers. With Hayden Hurst in house, at least that won’t have to happen in the short term. Team sources said Pitts is not a great blocker but is willing, fights, and gives a good effort.
While some NFL teams think Pitts runs well enough to play wide receiver, sources from other teams disagree, seeing Pitts as a tight end. Those who feel he is not wideout view him as elite tight end prospect and worthy of a top-10 pick. They big difference is that some teams don’t believe Pitts is fast enough to play wide receiver in the NFL.
“[Pitts] is a stud and has a chance to be the next great pass-receiving tight end,” said a director of college scouting during the spring. “The physical composition is there. The athletic ability and speed is there as well. Matching up against him is going to be a nightmare. All that said he is a generational talent at the tight end position.”
A national scout said some thing similar in the spring, “[Pitts] will stay at tight end [and] be a potential All-Pro. Second-overall prospect is possible, and he’s definitely top five. He’s a taller, longer Travis Kelce with a little less bulk.”
Another director of scouting had a Hall of Famer in mind as well when watching Pitts, “I think Pitts will run well but he will be a tight end, and could end up being a Tony Gonzalez type tight end.”
Every evaluator said Pitts graded out higher than other recent top-20 tight end prospects like T.J. Hockenson, Eric Ebron and O.J. Howard. Across the league, Pitts was the consensus second-rated player in the 2021 NFL Draft. He could eventually replace the departed Julio Jones as Atlanta’s No. 1 receiver, and it would surprise me if Pitts was not a boom pick.
2020: A.J. Terrell, CB
2019: Chris Lindstrom, G
2018: Isaiah Oliver, CB
2017: Duke Riley, LB
2016: Keanu Neal, S
2015: Tevin Coleman, RB
2014: Ra’Shede Hageman, DT
2013: Malliciah Goodman, DE
Future Depth Player
Darren Hall, CB, San Diego State – Round 4 
The Falcons are set with their top-three cornerbacks, as they have A.J. Terrell and Isaiah Oliver on the outside and Kendall Sheffield manning the slot. The team, however, needed some depth and competition behind those young veterans, and Hall was a solid addition in the fourth round. Hall (5-11, 188) could be a versatile backup who could contribute on the outside or inside. If he grows from there, he could challenge Sheffield for the nickelback job in the future. While Hall may not become a starter, he has the skill set to be a solid backup corner who can contribute on a rotational basis while also contributing on special teams.
2020: Mykal Walker, LB
2019: Qadree Ollison, RB
2018: Russell Gage, WR
2017: Brian Hill, RB
2016: De’Vondre Campbell, LB
2015: Justin Hardy, WR
2014: Devonta Freeman, RB
2013: Robert Alford, CB
Walt’s 2021 NFL Draft Grades:
4. Kyle Pitts, TE, Florida – B+ Grade
I personally would have gone with Penei Sewell, but I certainly don’t hate this pick. I believe an elite left tackle is more valuable than an elite tight end, but in the end, the Falcons couldn’t have gone wrong with either. Pitts is viewed as a receiver by some around the NFL. He projects to be a superior Darren Waller, so he’ll be a dynamic, mismatch threat for Matt Ryan as the veteran quarterback enters his twilight years.
40. Richie Grant, S, Central Florida – B Grade
Another safety over Trevon Moehrig, so I wonder if there are injury concerns with the TCU product. Richie Grant is a quality safety prospect with great instincts, so he can start right away. That’s needed for the Falcons, who have to deal with Michael Thomas, Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Antonio Brown and D.J. Moore in their division.
68. Jalen Mayfield, OT/G, Michigan – B+ Grade
Jalen Mayfield was once a mainstay of the first round of my mock draft, but he slipped recently because he’s not great in any regard. However, Mayfield can play tackle and guard, which is important for the Falcons because they need interior help now and then tackle help when Jake Matthews leaves the team in the future.
108. Darren Hall, CB/S, San Diego State – C- Grade
I never placed Darren Hall in my mock drafts, though I always considered him in the late rounds. I obviously don’t like this value for Atlanta, but addressing the dire need for a cornerback was a must. Still, this pick could have been made later.
114. Drew Dalman, C, Stanford – B+ Grade
I had Drew Dalman slotted three picks later in my mock draft, so this value makes sense to me. The Falcons had to obtain a center after losing Alex Mack. They have a replacement in Matt Hennessy, but he’s not a proven commodity, so competition was needed.
148. Ta’Quon Graham, DT, Texas – C Grade
I went back and forth between slotting Ta’Quon Graham in the final rounds and not. He didn’t make it into the final rounds of my mock. This is sort of an underwhelming pick, but it’s not a terrible one, as Atlanta needed to help its defensive line.
182. Adetokunbo Ogundeji, DE, Notre Dame – C Grade
I never had Adetokunbo Ogundeji in any of my mock draft updates, but he nearly made the cut on several occasions. This pick is just OK, as the Falcons could have done better to address a big need for an edge rusher.
183. Avery Williams, CB, Boise State – C+ Grade
The Falcons needed another cornerback, but Avery Williams is going to be more of a special-teams player. He’s a small cornerback I had going in the seventh round.
187. Frank Darby, WR, Arizona State – B- Grade
Julio Jones might be traded in the near future, so the Falcons needed some receiving depth. I had Frank Darby in the seventh round of my final mock draft, so taking him in the sixth frame makes some sense.
2021 NFL Draft Team Grade: B. Follow Walter @walterfootball for updates.
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