You would expect a defensive-minded head coach to prioritize defense in the draft, and ultimately, the Falcons sank five of their eight draft picks into that side of the ball. You would expect a head coach, assistant head coach, and defensive coordinator who worked heavily with defensive backs to prioritize acquiring those in the draft, and you would be wrong about that one.
That’s not to say the Falcons didn’t have interest in corners and safeties—Terry Fontenot suggested they tried to move up for a corner in the first round from the second and weren’t able to get it done—but it’s difficult not to notice that four out of the five defensive picks they made were EDGE players or defensive linemen.