NFL draft: best fits between draft prospects and teams

Atlanta Falcons – Derrick Brown, DT, Auburn

The Falcons were one of the most disappointing teams through the first half of the 2019 season, as it took them until week ten to earn their second victory. They ended up winning six of their final eight games and Dan Quinn was allowed to stay in Atlanta, but that defense was absolutely horrendous early on. While a lot of their problems were due to miscommunication, coaching mistakes and flat-out bad play in coverage, I think if their personnel is healthy they can be pretty good and they proved that to some degree from their bye-week on. The main concern for me is the defensive line. The Falcons were on pace to set a new all-time low in sacks for a season through the first eight games of 2019 and they have already made it public that they will not engage into conversations about a new deal for their reigning sack-leader Vic Beasley. So edge rusher is definitely is a priority as well, but with Chase Young being a lock for the top three and no clear option behind him, this is something they will likely address with a proven commodity on the open market – also because they just invested a first-round pick in Takk McKinley two years ago. Instead I think the big Auburn D-tackle would be a great fit for them. Brown is tremendous run-stuffer who can play anything from true nose to three-tech and he can create push up the middle in the pass game. This would allow Atlanta to not play Grady Jarrett out of position for parts of the game anymore and give whoever rushes off the edges to turn a tighter corner.

Philadelphia Eagles – Henry Ruggs III, WR, Alabama

To me this is the most obvious pick in the draft and if Ruggs is available at 21st overall, GM Howie Roseman should personally swim across that pool at Bellagio to pick up his new receiver. The Eagles receiving corp was just decimated by injuries at the end of last season, with nobody from their week one lineup available from December on. Sure, they could look at the corner position once again with Ronald Darby hitting free agency and no consistency on the outside throughout their roster, but if you believe in Carson Wentz – and they already showed him with a big contract last offseason, which he validated by carrying his squad to the NFL East title – you have to surround him with pieces that will help him succeed. Philly’s duo of tight-ends is the best in the entire league and with Miles Sanders catching heat as the season went along, it is really about guys who can make plays for him outside the hashes, most importantly someone who can stretch the field. DeSean Jackson was brought back to where he started his career last offseason after looking like he had plenty left in the tank, but he was basically out the entire year outside of a big performance in week one. Alabama’s Henry Ruggs will probably run somewhere in the 4.2s next week at the combine and he would give the Eagles exactly what they need. Not only would they finally have somebody, who can threaten the safeties to back off and give them more space to work underneath with their tight-ends and backs, but he can also be a weapon on jet sweeps, quick screens or just run away from the defense on crossing routes.