Dalvin Tomlinson came to Alabama as a four-star defensive lineman out of Henry County (Ga.) High School and finished as one of the most dominant run stuffers in the country.

Living so close to Atlanta, it was only natural for him to grow up a Falcons’ fan. Tomlinson stated at the Senior Bowl that he would like to play for his home team, and the Falcons expressed mutual interest in him by formally interviewing him at the combine.

Atlanta finished No. 18 in the league in rushing yards allowed, giving up a 104.5 per game average, a number likely would have been worse had the Falcons not had a high-flying offense that forced teams to play catch-up. Still, it could have been better.

The Falcons defense gave up 4.5 yards per carry last season, ranking in the bottom eight teams in the league. Interest in Tomlinson makes a ton of sense as the front office rebuilds the defensive line.

Player Profile

First, let’s take a look at how the “Renaissance Man” measures up using Mockdraftable’s spider chart.

Physically, he fits the bill. However, Tomlinson is also regarded as an excellent teammate who is highly competitive and tough with a non-stop motor.

How would the Falcons feature him?

A likely cap casualty, Tyson Jackson is a guy that does the dirty work to free up other players to make plays. Tomlinson was noted for that with the Crimson Tide, opening up opportunities for stars Tim Williams and Jonathan Allen. His task would be the same for the Falcons, occupying blockers so that playmakers Vic Beasley, Grady Jarrett and Deion Jones can clean up. At Alabama, Tomlinson excelled on stunts and twists, something that is becoming a staple of line play in Atlanta.

Tomlinson would be a much more cost-efficient replacement for Jackson and it’s possible he could play a role similar to Red Bryant’s when he was in Seattle. He can play base end and set the edge on rushing downs, he could one-gap or two-gap as a nose in the base, the Falcons could even let him single-gap as the nose tackle in bear fronts.

Highlights

Draft Projection: 3rd – 4th Round

In the last five drafts, there has been an average of 21 defensive tackles drafted with an average of 10 by the end of round three. Tomlinson is ranked as the No. 9, 10, and 11 defensive tackle available by NFL.com, CBS Sports, and Draft Wire respectively.

Because of the depth of other positions in this draft, it’s possible that Tomlinson could be available after the third round, but it’s not likely that he will last to Atlanta’s pick in round four.