Next Friday night, Atlanta Falcons fans will get their first look at the centerpiece of the Falcons’ 2012 NFL draft class. The draft actually starts on Thursday night with the first round, but Falcons fans will have to hold their collective breath until the 55th overall pick (the 22nd pick of the second round).
There are several possibilities for the Falcons to supplement their roster for 2012 and beyond. It becomes quickly clear what general manager Thomas Dimitroff is looking to get out of the first pick by studying the methods of the Flowery Branch brain trust and looking at recent history of where NFL teams have found value in the mid-to-late second round.
First, owner Arthur Blank, Dimitroff and head coach Mike Smith made it clear that they are focused on improving immediately and advancing in the playoffs this winter.
Second, these leaders decided the most effective way to improve would be by overhauling the coaching staff, more so than the field roster. See the addition of former NFL head coach Mike Nolan as defensive coordinator, the addition of a new offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter. Also, don’t overlook the hiring of new offensive line coach Pat Hill, who has NFL coaching experience and won 112 games at Fresno State.
That said, the Falcons would like to go with an offensive lineman in the draft. Not a dominant left tackle because those will be gone by the 55th pick, but you can expect Dimitroff to call the name of a right tackle that – using the verbiage of draft “gurus”– projects to left tackle in the future, or a dominant guard that can push the pile in short-yardage situations.
Recent draft history backs up this logic. According to profootballreference.com, eight offensive linemen have been drafted in the 10 spots at and around the 22nd pick in the second round over the last five years. Combined, those players could have possibly played in 432 regular season games. The group has actually started in 320 and played in 382 of those games. That’s production.
PREDICTION
The Falcons will select an impact lineman. Our guess is, if available, they’ll choose 6-foot-5, 330-guard/tackle out of Iowa State Kelechi Osemele. Osmele is big enough to play both positions and played left tackle in college. He’s also described as a smart player. Osmele is a guy that fits the Falcons’ needs now, and hopefully, for the long term.
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