The Atlanta Falcons will have some difficult decisions to make when it comes to the defensive tackle position in 2018. Dontari Poe, a free-agent signing from Kansas City, is on a one-year deal, so is Courtney Upshaw. Adrian Clayborn’s deal will be up, as will Ra’shede Hageman’s, after this season.

I don’t believe Atlanta will use a high draft pick on the position this year, and as of now, they have only met with Dalvin Tomlinson out of Alabama.

However, this is a position that most likely will be addressed with a mid-round pick with the idea being that the player is utilized for depth this year and will be developed for the future.

I wouldn’t be surprised if all of the four above mention players are no longer with the team in 2018 and with both cornerback Desmond Trufant and running back Devonta Freeman likely being extended, planning ahead to fill one of those holes with a cheap rookie contract would make a lot of sense.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at the 2017 DT class using the Chipper score I have laid out in a previous article. On the left you have all of the first round DTs from the previous six drafts, with this year’s tackle group on the right.

Remember this is not a projection of success, but a tool that looks at size and athleticism in comparison with positional peers and combines it with college production.

Malik McDowell– If there was one player on this list that could both be there at No. 31 and would make sense for the Falcons, it would be McDowell. He’s a top 15 talent that could fall based on a perceived lack of effort evident in the second half of the 2016 season, combined with whispers of him being an odd character that may be tough to coach.

Numbers Comp- Arik Armstead

These two have similar frames, with McDowell edging him out in arm length. They also test pretty closely athletically, with Armstead testing slightly more explosive overall. If there were no flags, Malik most likely goes in the same range Arik went, but I think he falls and would provide an interesting discussion at No. 31 as a guy that could play three positions along the Falcons defensive line.

Caleb Brantley- Once considered a late first round type, Brantley’s miserable athletic testing at the combine should send him into day two. He’s best suited as a three-tech and would be an interesting option is he falls to the end of the second round.

Numbers Comp- Sharrif Floyd

This is where it gets difficult to compare a day-two guy with a first rounder. Floyd was clearly a better athlete than Brantley. However, they are close in size and both came out of a Florida program that coach Dan Quinn has a direct line too. Brantley was more productive in college and is certainly more of an instinctive football player than he is an athletic talent.

Dalvin Tomlinson- Thus far Tomlinson is the only DT the Falcons have met with. This may give some insight as to the type of player they could be targeting in this draft. He can play the nose shade one-tech or slide over to the three-tech. He’s most likely a day-two pick and it will come down to where he is on their board when Atlanta is on the clock.

Numbers Comp- Marcell Dareus

There’s no getting around the fact Dareus was a top-five prospect coming out of college and Tomlinson is certainly not that. However, they actually compare well in both size and athleticism. The delineating factor in the numbers is their production. Tomlinson played in the same program, but was heavily rotated and not on the field for a large percentage of snaps. He has the tools to be a starter though and it will be interesting to see if the Falcons see him the same way.

Carlos Watkins- With Poe on a prove-it deal and possibly playing his way out of Atlanta in 2018, it would make a lot of sense to take a guy that could play the Nose shade one-tech going forward. Watkins is most likely a late day-two to early day-three option and we know Atlanta has had success taking linemen out of Clemson in the past.

Numbers Comp- Sylvester Williams

These two have an almost identical Chipper score, with Watkins testing better in the size categories and Williams in productivity. It’s important to note Watkins didn’t complete all of the athletic testing, though his pro day numbers suggest he is more athletic than Williams. Bottom line: Carlos is a rotational piece that can be found in the mid rounds and could become a Poe replacement long term.