Falcons Select Georgia Standout in First Round of 2023 NFL Mock Draft

Updated: Sep 10, 5:00pm UTC

The 2022 NFL regular season hasn't even gotten underway and mock drafts for next April are already being released. The uncertainty surrounding the Atlanta Falcons' roster overhaul has prompted them to land the No. 2 overall pick and select a Georgia standout in The Draft Network's latest installment.

Atlanta Falcon 2023 Mock Draft

The Falcons were tabbed as the new home for defensive lineman Jalen Carter. Keith Sanchez cites the fact that Atlanta has opted for early offense in each of the last two years (Kyle Pitts, Drake London) as his main reason for the choice. Of course, Carter's dominance comes into play here, too.

The Bulldogs star logged 37 tackles (8.5 for loss), 3.5 sacks and one pass breakup during the 2021 season. He was able to produce despite playing alongside talents such as Travon Walker, Jordan Davis a Devonte Wyatt. All three of those players were taken in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft.

Carter has all of the intangibles needed to make an immediate impact at the NFL level. ESPN's Bill Connelly called him a "linebacker stuck in a nose tackle's body" and his colleague Jordan Reid compared Carter to Ndamuong Suh. Carter's size (6-foot-3, 310 pounds) and strength is undeniable.

What may stick out most about Carter is his versatility, though. He has the athleticism to break through blockers and the range to line up in a number of different formations. Pairing him with Grady Jarrett on a defensive line that finished dead last in sacks in 2021 (18.0) would be a perfect result.

For now, Atlanta has odds set at +25000 to win Super Bowl 57, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.

Larry Rupp is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Larry Rupp also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username phillyfan424. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.