For the second year in a row, the Atlanta Falcons enter the offseason with a top-10 pick in the upcoming NFL draft. The last time this happened, the team selected left tackle Jake Matthews in 2014 (sixth overall), and edge rusher Vic Beasley in 2015 (eighth overall).

ESPN’s draft analyst, Mel Kiper, unveiled his first mock of the offseason and has the Falcons targeting a cornerback to pair with A.J. Terrell.

Round 1 pick 8: CB, Derek Stingley – LSU

“So how about a cornerback to play on the other side of rising star A.J. Terrell? Stingley looked like a potential No. 1 pick when he was dominating as a true freshman on LSU’s national title team in 2019, but he was inconsistent in 2020 and then played just three games this season because of a foot injury. A team is going to have to take a little bit of a leap of faith with Stingley because he hasn’t played great for two seasons. The draft is all about upside, though, and he has the potential to be a superstar. I’m hoping he can work out at the combine to ease some concerns.”

A leap of faith may be needed for this selection, but the team’s secondary needs to be addressed. In 2021, Atlanta signed Fabian Moreau, who struggled to hold his own and may not be back in 2022.

However, Kiper projecting the Falcons to go with Stingley Jr. means the team would pass on options such as Nakobe Dean, Drake London, Ahmad Gardner, and Garrett Wilson.

Stingley Jr. has had some trouble staying healthy, playing in just 10 total games over the last two seasons. Kiper also discussed the Falcons taking a quarterback with the eighth overall pick but referenced Chris Mortensen’s report about the team sticking with Ryan for the 2022 season.