Georgia LB Nolan Smith: Falcons 'Want to Keep Me Home' in NFL Draft

It's something the Atlanta Falcons have lacked for several years - and even moreso of late, ranking last in the NFL in sacks by over 20 across the past two seasons.

The Falcons have addressed the issue to an extent in free agency,

 signing a pair of former New Orleans Saints in defensive tackle David Onyemata and linebacker Kaden Elliss,

 who had five and seven sacks, respectively, this past campaign.

But a need still exists on the edge - so how about Georgia outside linebacker Nolan Smith.

The 6-2, 238-pound Smith wowed at the NFL Combine, running a 4.39 40-yard dash with a 1.52 10-yard split,

 and had a standout career for the Bulldogs, 11 and a half sacks, 21 and a half tackles for loss and 78 quarterback pressures in 46 games for the back-to-back national champions.

Smith hails from the Peach State, something Falcons general manager Terry Fontenot,

who was in attendance at Georgia's Pro Day on Wednesday, noted isn't overlooked during their evaluation process.

And after his Pro Day, Smith told 11AliveNews how much he'd value staying in Georgia ...

and added that it feels like the Falcons have a lot of interest in making that dream come true.

NEXT STORY

Former Clemson cornerback resigns with the Ravens