April 26 does not mean a whole lot to the Falcons. Even though that day kicks off the NFL Draft, only the first round selections will be made and because of the trade for Julio Jones last season, the Falcons do not have a first round pick.
However, that doesn’t mean they will be or haven’t been hard at work trying to find the right players to fit in their system because they still have six draft picks including a two picks in the first 100.
It’s been documented on what the Falcons needs are coming into the draft. The Falcons have questions marks at cornerback, middle linebacker, offensive line, tight end and wide receiver. According to a few mock drafts that have been recently released, the Falcons are going to take Dwayne Allen with their first pick in the draft (Round 2, No. 55). Allen is a tight end from Clemson who has the tools to take over for Tony Gonzalez.
NFL Draft expert Mel Kiper Jr. just recently came out with his Round 2 mock draft and he thinks the Falcons will take Jeff Allen who is an offensive tackle from Illinois. Allen is 6-foot-4 and 307 pounds. Experts like Allen’s durability and Kiper thinks that he can help the Falcons in numerous ways.
Both Jeff and Dwayne should be available by the time the Falcons make their pick. But will they pick one of those two, or will they go a different route?
Another player the Falcons could pick with the second round selection and has been kicked around on numerous draft sites is David Wilson who is a running back from Virginia Tech.The running back position is already set with Michael Turner, Jacquizz Rodgers and Jason Snelling, but Wilson has worked out for the Falcons and they were impressed with what they saw. Wilson totaled over 1,700 yards last season which earned him Second-Team All-American as well as ACC Player of the Year honors. Some experts have said he’s the second best running back behind Alabama’s Trent Richardson.
One name that has not been on the mock drafts but probably should be is Georgia cornerback Brandon Boykin. Because of a broken leg he suffered during the Senior Bowl, Boykin was not able to participate in the combine or Georgia’s Pro Day. But Boykin will be ready to go after the draft is over and is expected to be selected sometime in the second round. Boykin is a solid all-around corner that is very quick and athletic. But one of the things that has experts concerned is that he is small and they also doubt he can press cover opposing players in man schemes. Boykin is also a great return specialist which is something the Falcons need since Eric Weems is now with the Chicago Bears.
One player that the Falcons could pick in the third round is NT Josh Chapman from Alabama. Chapman has the prototypical size for a nose tackle (6-foot-1, 316 pounds) and was a honorable mention All-American by Pro Football Weekly. The one thing about him that could be concerning is he suffered a torn ACL last season and has not participated in the any of the postseason all-star games or the NFL Combine. Chapman also would fit better in a 3-4 scheme, which is something the Falcons don’t normally run. But with new defensive coordinator Mike Nolan having tons of experience with the 3-4, Chapman seems to be more like a guy that the Falcons could take in the third round.
Some of the other players the Falcons have looked at are Illinois safety Tavon Wilson, South Carolina defensive end Melvin Ingram, Vanderbilt cornerback Casey Heyward, Montana defensive back Trumaine Johnson, Vanderbilt defensive end Tim Fugger and Cincinnati tight end Adrien Johnson. All of these players have either worked out or visited the facilities in Flowery Branch.
So it will be very interesting to see who the Falcons take when they start their draft on April 27. Will they draft Dwayne Allen and he will take over for Gonzalez? Will they draft hometown hero Boykin and have him work alongside Brent Grimes and Dunta Robinson? Or will they trade up to grab somebody they like that has a first round grade?
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