Los Angeles is a long way to go for just one workout, so while the Atlanta Falcons are on the West Coast Friday holding a private workout session for UCLA linebacker Eric Kendricks, they'll also make time for one of the NFL draft's elite prospects.
The club will meet with USC defensive lineman Leonard Williams, the draft's No. 1 overall player, according to NFL Media insider Ian Rapoport. Williams is expected to be long gone by the time Atlanta makes its first-round pick at No. 8 overall, but the No. 8 pick also provides Atlanta with solid leverage to trade up if it were so inclined. Atlanta's primary need is for a pass rusher, and although Williams puts plenty of pressure on opposing quarterbacks, he is more of an interior line presence than an edge player who specializes in pass rush.
Atlanta's meeting with Williams will be informal, but with the draft just two weeks away, the versatile 300-pounder still has some official visits left on his his calendar. Monday, he'll visit the New York Jets, and will follow with a visit to the Washington Redskins two days later, according to Rapoport. The Jets hold the No. 6 overall pick, while Washington picks at No. 5. Four of six mock drafts by NFL Media analysts project the Tennessee Titans to take Williams ahead of all those suitors at No. 2 overall. Analyst Brian Baldinger foresees Williams falling to the Jacksonville Jaguars at No. 3, while Charles Davis projects him to fall to the Redskins.
The Falcons are also expected to work out UCLA defensive end Owamagbe Odighizuwa while on the Bruins' campus.
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