ATLANTA - With their Atlanta Falcons having posted back-to-back losing records, general manager Thomas Dimitroff and coach Dan Quinn know they're under pressure this season.
They used the 2020 NFL draft to provide rebuilding material for a defense that drew much of the blame for two straight 7-9 marks.
The Falcons used four of their six picks on defensive players, including Clemson cornerback A.J. Terrell in the first round on Thursday and Auburn defensive lineman Marlon Davidson in the second round on Friday.
The focus on defense continued Saturday, when the Falcons had three picks. Atlanta took linebacker Mykal Walker of Fresno State and safety Jaylinn Hawkins of California in the fourth round, then selected Syracuse punter Sterling Hofrichter in the seventh and final round.
"We came into this draft 100% looking to bolster our defense," Dimitroff said Saturday. "We obviously stayed on track."
ATLANTA FALCONS 2020 NFL DRAFT PICKS
April 23-25; with round, overall pick number in parentheses, player selected, position and college:1 (16) A.J. Terrell (6-1, 195), CB, Clemson2 (47) Marlon Davidson (6-3, 303), DE, Auburn3 (78) Matt Hennessy (6-4, 307), C, Temple4 (119) Mykal Walker (6-3, 230), LB, Fresno State4 (134) Jaylinn Hawkins (6-1, 208), S, California7 (228) Sterling Hofrichter (5-10, 296), P, Syracuse
Dimitroff said it is rare to focus so heavily in the draft on one side of the ball. A trade with the Baltimore Ravens for tight end Hayden Hurst and the signing of running back Todd Gurley as a free agent addressed the most glaring holes on offense, leaving defense as the draft priority.
Davidson, Terrell and Walker could win starting jobs. The rookies join Atlanta's prized free-agent addition, edge rusher Dante Fowler, as the biggest names in its defensive makeover.
Matt Hennessy of Temple, a third-round pick, will have an opportunity to win a starting job at left guard.
"We got more athletic, we got faster, we got more explosive," Dimitroff said.
Saturday, for the second straight day, the Falcons found a player who can play more than one position. Just as Davidson can shuffle around the defensive line and Hennessy could play guard or center, Walker said he's comfortable at any linebacker spot.
At 6-foot-3, 230 pounds, he is similar in size to the player he may replace, De'Vondre Campbell, who signed as a free agent with the Arizona Cardinals. Walker said he spent 60% to 65% of his plays at inside linebacker at Fresno State. He said he's just as comfortable on the outside, though.
Quinn said Walker has the size to play strongside linebacker but also could play weakside in nickel formations with an extra defensive back on the field.
AP file photo by Young Kwak / California safety Jaylinn Hawkins was a fourth-round draft pick of the Atlanta Falcons on Saturday.For the first time in his 13 years in Atlanta, Dimitroff did not complete a trade during the draft. He made 17 trades in his first 12 drafts, including five to move up or into the first round. He said he was happy to find the players he targeted without having to trade away any of his six picks.
Terrell was an Atlanta high school scene standout before going to Clemson, but some of the newest Falcons already have their own connections with the city despite not being from there.
Hofrichter, from Valrico, Florida, said he grew up cheering for Chipper Jones and the Atlanta Braves. Jones, the switch-hitting Hall of Famer, played high school baseball in Florida, and the Braves have a long reach in the Deep South.
"That's why I wear No. 10," he said of the former Braves third baseman.
Hennessy, meanwhile, played for coach Geoff Collins for two seasons at Temple before Collins was hired by Georgia Tech in 2019. Collins gave the Falcons a strong endorsement of Hennessey.
"He was very, very positive about him, and so was some of his staff," Dimitroff said.
Quinn said he received a text from Collins on Friday night about "how excited he was to have Matt coming down. He knew what a special competitor he is."
Hennessey's long-term home may be at center, but his first position will be left guard - the one opening on the offensive line. Quinn expects Hennessy will compete with veterans Jamon Brown, James Carpenter and Matt Gono. Two 2019 first-round picks, Kaleb McGary and Chris Lindstrom, are expected to start at right tackle and right guard, respectively.
Hennessey's future may rest on center Alex Mack's status. The 34-year-old Mack can become an unrestricted free agent after the 2020 season. For now, Quinn expects Mack to serve as Hennessey's mentor.
"If you are a player walking in to play offensive line in the NFL, this is the type of person that you would want to ask questions to," Quinn said of Mack. "This is the type of person that you would want to sit next to in meetings."