Will the Falcons finally draft a Georgia Bulldogs player in the first round?

The Falcons hold the 15th overall pick in the draft, which is set for April 24-26 in Green Bay, Wisconsin.

Linebacker Jalon Walker, defensive lineman Mykel Williams and safety Malaki Starks are considered first-round prospects. Walker (right quad) and Williams (ankle) are coming off injuries and will hold private workouts April 17.

Starks stood on his times from the combine and did only the position drills for the NFL scouts, as all 32 teams were represented. Three head coaches, Mike Tomlin (Steelers), Mike McDaniel (Dolphins), Kellen Moore (Saints), and one general manager, Chris Grier (Miami), were on hand, along with Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith, a former Falcons head coach.

Walker could be selected before the Falcons pick.

“It would be great,” Walker said about being taken by the Falcons. “The relationship that I’ve built with them from not only the combine and the conversations that we had, not just only on the football talk. ... They are great and wonderful people.”

Walker has met with new Falcons defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich and discussed his vision for the new defense.

“His plan and vision, he has a visionary plan and how he wants to be successful,” Walker said.

Walker has received some feedback from the NFL scouts.

“They way I can play anything,” Walker said. “The versatile role that I had here translates a lot to their game in the NFL. A lot of these teams want me to be a Swiss army knife for their team.”

Walker plans to show off his skills in his coming private workout.

“To show that I can move pretty well,” Walker said. “You can see that pretty effortlessly on the film. But (I want) to show that I have a pretty special skill set.”

Before the workouts get underway, Fontenot spent a long time talking to Williams, who is from Columbus.

“It’d be nice,” Williams said of the Falcons drafting him. “It would be a blessing to be back home in the state of Georgia. It’d be great to play for the Atlanta Falcons. It’s a great organization, and I love the GM and love the head coach.”

Williams is getting closer to 100%.

“Yeah, because I’m working on lateral and change-of-direction stuff,” Williams said. “I’ve been working on my straight-line speed.

Williams has been stressing a few key points in his interviews with NFL teams.

“I’m different,” Williams said. “I feel like I have a different mentality about work and how I go about my work.”

NFL teams know that Williams played most of last season at less than 100% health.

“It’s no real concern,” Williams said. “They know it’s an ankle. The healing process takes time. They love it because a lot of guys in the situation that I was in, they would have sat out.”

Williams is looking forward to his private workout and the draft.

“I just get excited thinking about it because it’s something that I always wanted to do,” Williams said. “It’s been a dream of mine probably since I was like 10. Just to wake up every day and that be my job and my career, that would be even more exciting.”

To solidify a spot in the first round, Starks needed to improve on his combine times. He ran the 40-yard dash in 4.5 seconds, which is slow for a defensive back. He did start out well with a 1.51 10-yard split.

Starks, who’s drawing big interest from the Dolphins, also didn’t run well in the three-cone or shuttle drills and his 33-inch vertical was near the bottom of the position group.

“That’s the goal in life is to always in improve,” Starks said. “I’ve been putting a lot of work in. It’s been a lot of heavy work. I just really had to take in how my body was feeling and go from there. I definitely want to improve for sure.”

It would be a reach for the Falcons to select Starks with the 15th pick. But they could trade back and get more picks. The Dolphins have the 13th pick and the 48th overall pick in the second round.

After allowing Justin Simmons to enter free agency, the Falcons do have an opening next to Jessie Bates III.

“It’d be awesome,” said Starks, who is from Jefferson. “I mean, I grew up watching Georgia. I got to play in my backyard, watching Atlanta. So, this is kind of that same journey, that same story. It would be awesome, but I’d be lucky to go anywhere.”

Starks has had good talks with the Falcons.

“They like my versatility, but also just like the leadership skills that I bring in, just like the discipline that I have,” Starks said. “Coming from a place like University of Georgia, just being able to carry that and carry myself in a certain way. They really like that.”

Bulldogs defensive lineman Warren Brinson was not that high on the Falcons.

“Nah, I haven’t, man,” Brinson said when asked if he’s spoken with the Falcons. “I don’t know what’s going on with the Falcons, man. I don’t think they take Georgia players.

“I haven’t gotten to talk to the Falcons, though, man. I mean, they just released Grady Jarrett, so they got to replenish somewhere. Hopefully, they come an hour southeast (of Flowery Branch). Come get some guys, man. Maybe Jalon Walker, maybe Mykel Williams. You never know.”

EDITOR’S NOTE: Morris doesn’t generally speak in the offseason and defers to Fontenot. A request for Fontenot to be interviewed was denied by the Falcons’ public relations department.

Connor Riley contributed to this article.

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With NFL scouts and coaches watching, Georgia safety Dan Jackson runs a drill during the school’s NFL Pro Day at the University of Georgia Indoor Practice Facility, Wednesday, March, 12, 2025, in Athens, Ga. (Jason Getz / AJC)