With the 26th pick in the 2017 NFL Draft, the Falcons selected DE Takkarist McKinley out of UCLA. Atlanta originally owned the No. 31 overall pick, but traded with Seattle for their first-round pick.
A relentless pass-rusher, McKinley recorded 16 sacks in his three years at UCLA, 10 of them coming from his senior season. He also tallied 18 tackles for loss and six pass breakups.
McKinley possesses the athleticism and arm length head coach Dan Quinn and general manager Thomas Dimitroff like in their pass-rushers.
Here’s McKinley’s draft profile courtesy of NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein:
“Ascending edge prospect who racked up impressive TFL and sack numbers this year despite a relatively raw approach and skill set.