Jan 5, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Falcons head coach Raheem Morris reacts on the sidelines against the Carolina Panthers during the second half at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

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Atlanta Falcons News

The Atlanta Falcons came close but ultimately fell short of their goal of making the NFC playoffs in 2024. An embarrassing final-week loss to their NFC South rivals, the Carolina Panthers, ended their season. And now they have a crucial offseason coming up.

They will be entering the first year with Michael Penix Jr. as their full-time starting quarterback, but their defense has multiple major needs to address. A new A to Z Sports mock draft has them targeting defense in round one, but they do so by taking a significant risk that some fans may have reservations about.

Falcons land East Carolina CB Shavon Revel in a new 2025 NFL Mock Draft

Nov 18, 2023; Annapolis, Maryland, USA; Navy Midshipmen wide receiver Regis Velez (84) runs the ball against East Carolina Pirates defensive back Shavon Revel (28) during the second quarter at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium.

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“If it wasn’t for an injury in the middle of the season, Shavon Revel would probably be widely discussed as a top 5-10 pick. Still, I don’t think NFL teams are going to let him fall that far. He’s a gifted and athletic corner with great ball skill that has the upside to be a shut down corner for years.”

– New A to Z Sports Mock Draft

There’s a lot to like about East Carolina’s Shavon Revel as a draft prospect. He was absolutely a lockdown corner on film at East Carolina over the past two seasons. In 2023, he was always around the ball as he finished with an impressive 13 pass deflections but only one interception. In 2024, you can tell his ball skills improved, with him already having two interceptions through the first three games, but sadly, his season would come to an end after that due to an injury.

Some in the league think Revel’s coverage ability is near the best in the class, so he was considered an option to hear his name in the top 10. However, he comes with some risk and is now expected to fall outside the top 10. First, Revel isn’t expected to be medically cleared until the summer, which means he won’t test during the draft cycle and could start training camp off slow as his team eases him back onto the field.

Though he won’t be working out, he will be at the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine and can meet with teams and get detailed medicals done. So, teams will have a better understanding of Revel’s injury and his ongoing recovery after the week is over. The obvious concerns about his health, on top of him coming from a group of five schools and not having much film against other top draft prospects, will make teams wonder if his game will translate against NFL talent. If it does, though, the Falcons would create quite the young CB duo between Revel and A.J. Terrell for the future.