Alabama's Da'Ron Payne could be next Falcons defensive tackle

ATLANTA — The 2018 NFL Draft is almost here, and Atlanta Falcons’ fans will get to see general manager Thomas Dimitroff and head coach Dan Quinn’s visions for the upcoming season unfold during the draft selections made beginning on Thursday night.

The Falcons have seven picks in the draft, with their first coming in the first round with the 26th overall pick. According to ESPN's Vaughn McClure, the Falcons will trade up to draft a defensive tackle. Several mock drafts have the Falcons selecting Alabama defensive tackle Da'Ron Payne with their first pick.

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Bucky Brooks, an NFL.com analyst, said Payne would "fill a void in the middle of the 'Dirty Birds'" defense.

“Payne is a rock-solid defender with pass-rushing skills,” Brooks said.

The 6-foot-2, 311-pound Payne combined for 89 tackles, 4.5 tackles for a loss and 2.5 sacks. He had two fumble recoveries, one interception and one touchdown in his sophomore and junior seasons.

The first round of the 2018 NFL Draft will begin at 8 p.m. Thursday, followed by the second and third rounds on Friday and the fourth through seventh rounds on Saturday.

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