The NFL Draft is just around the corner, and crunch time has started for coaches and executives around the league. Here we take a look at the draft from a Falcons perspective and offer a look around the NFL at how the top of the draft is shaping up. First, here’s a few places the Falcons need help in and how they can address it through the draft.
Secondary: Help is needed anywhere and everywhere in the secondary, especially with the losses of Lawyer Milloy at safety and Domonique Foxworth at cornerback, leaving two starting jobs open. Malcolm Jenkins and Vontae Davis are likely the two top corners in the draft, but Jenkins should be gone by No. 24. Davis, an extremely physical corner with top-notch speed and leaping ability, seems like a sensible pick. This is a fairly weak draft for safeties, meaning Atlanta might best be served by taking one in the later rounds of the draft. Louis Delmas of Western Michigan is the best of the bunch.
Offensive Line: The Falcons offensive line overachieved last season, getting contributions from several players with hardly any experience. One year later, Atlanta still has plenty of questions to answer up front. Some fans must be salivating at the possibility of embattled tackle Andre Smith of Alabama falling into Atlanta’s lap. Smith was considered a top-five pick before he was kicked off the team prior to its appearance in the Sugar Bowl for making improper contact with an agent. Then he mysteriously disappeared from the NFL Combine without working out for teams, once again raising questions about his character and work ethic. With those kinds of red flags surrounding him, a once-elite prospect could conceivably drop to the Falcons, but clearly many teams see him as a gamble. Expect the Falcons to draft several linemen throughout the draft to help build competition and depth up front heading into training camp.
Tight End: The emergency of Roddy White as a star wideout and Michael Jenkins as a solid No. 2 alongside him helped the passing game immensely. But the Falcons still missed a playmaker at tight end, an area that was once their only effective option in the passing game thanks to Alge Crumpler. Brandon Pettigrew of Oklahoma State could be a perfect fit in Crumpler’s old role. Pettigrew had a fantastic season in Mike Gundy’s passing offense last season, catching 42 passes for 472 yards. He’s also an excellent blocker, particularly in the run game.
AROUND THE LEAGUE
At The Top: The Detroit Lions will entertain several options at No. 1. And with a plethora of holes on a team that went 0-16, they have a major decision to make. Quarterback Matt Stafford of Georgia seemed to be the early candidate for the opening pick, but as always seems to be the case, questions about his ability and character arose after his workouts and interviews for teams. There is still reason, however, to believe that the Lions won’t be able to pass up such a prospect, especially at the quarterback position. The Lions also have to consider tackle Jason Smith, who many experts agree is the safest pick. A 6-foot-5, 309-pound mammoth out of Baylor, Smith was the first Bear to be selected to the All-America team in two decades and is the best run blocker in the draft. The other possibility is linebacker Aaron Curry, a small-time recruit who blossomed into a star at Wake Forest. He made 105 tackles, 16 of them for a loss, last season.
Sleepers: With the great emphasis that teams now put on the NFL Combine and pre-draft workouts, some very good college players get lost in the fold, even when their college resumes often stack up quite nicely. Wide receiver Brian Robiskie out of Ohio State fits that bill. He probably doesn’t have the star potential of a Jeremy Maclin or Michael Crabtree, but he has the ability to be a quality starter on the outside, which will make the second- or third-round pick a steal for any team. Robiskie caught 97 balls and 19 touchdowns in his junior and senior seasons combined as a Buckeye. Michael Tauiliili was an undersized linebacker at Duke, but he made up for it in college with fantastic instincts and playmaking ability, making over 90 tackles his four years, including a monster 141-tackle season last year. He would go on to be the defensive MVP at the East-West Shrine Game. He should be drafted on Day Two.
Locals: Former Georgia Bulldogs Stafford and Knowshon Moreno will both be first-round picks. But there are plenty more former Dawgs hoping to hear their names called on draft day. Cornerback Asher Allen, wide receiver Mohamed Massaquoi, and defensive tackle Corvey Irvin are all ranked 12th or better at their position by Scouts Inc. Among the other players looking to make a team are linebacker Dannell Ellerbe and fullback Brannan Southerland. Georgia Tech’s Michael Johnson has seen his draft stock plummet since the beginning of his senior season, but still figures to be a first-day pick. Fellow defensive linemen Vance Walker and Darryl Richard should also make the grade for an NFL team, as should 6-7 offensive tackle Andrew Gardner.
Bagriansky can be reached at jbagriansky@scoreatl.com.
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