Draft season is upon us and I have to say this has been one of the weirdest drafts I can remember. Multiple projected 1st round picks have hurt their stock so much that a few of them may actually fall to the mid 2nd round. What I decided to do here is give a breakdown of the Falcons top 3 needs, then go round by round and give what I want the Falcons to do and what I think they actually do.
The Falcons are in one of those weird situations where they have plenty of very good players, yet still seem to have so many needs. It just doesn't make sense, I think our issues really started between the time we gave Ray Edwards a huge contract and the time we let “The Predator” John Abraham go.
I had real trouble pinpointing just 3 needs because it’s a challenge of picking between a lesser needed position with less talent, or a more needed position that is better off than the lesser position.
Team Needs
Pass Rushing-
This was the easiest need to pick and it’s an obvious one. Our team leader in sacks last year was Kroy Biermann with an amazing 4.5 sacks and the next closest player was Osi Umenyiora with 2.5 sacks… That is just pathetic.
The Falcons as team had only 22 sacks, which was tied for 2nd worst in the league. That is just unacceptable. Part of it did have to do with Mike Nolan’s scheme and play calling, but let’s be honest you can only do so much when you don’t have the talent on the field.
A new coaching regime means a change in scheme, but they need to go out and get the players to fit their vision. They made a few decent signings (Justin Durant and Brooks Reed) but nothing that appears to be a game changer.
With 4 top level pass rushers projected to go within the first 15 picks the Falcons should be able to land one of them to be the main guy to fill that role. I will get to exactly who I would like and who I think they actually get later.
Secondary-
The secondary has some very good young pieces but there are still a few question marks and opportunities for improvement.
We have one of the best young lockdown corners in the league with Desmond Trufant who is entering his 3rd season along with draft mate Robert Alford who is impressive in his own right. However we lost a solid nickel cornerback in Robert McClain who signed with the Patriots, Josh Wilson who signed with Detroit, and Javier Arenas who is still a free agent.
Outside of Trufant and Alford we have newly acquired Phillip Adams who I really don’t have any faith in, Ricardo Allen who was a late round draft pick last year that spent most of the season on the practice squad but seems to have a real fire to play, and Jordan Mabin who is a practice squad player.
At safety we have hard hitting veteran William Moore at Strong Safety. He is a very good player, but had a disappointing 2013, and an injury riddled 2014. I still believe he is the answer at strong safety but i’ve heard faith in him isn’t very strong. The free safety spot is currently given to Dez Southward, a lightning quick 2nd year player. Dwight Lowery held the starting role last year but he left in free agency and that position is up for grabs. I personally think a Safety tandem of William Moore and Kemal Ishmael is what we should go with but Ish is currently Moore’s backup, despite having a very good season filling in at both safety spots.
Wide Receiver-
When you first look at the roster you wouldn’t think this is a big need, however if you really think about it we have an aging Roddy White, a void at WR #3 with the departure of Harry Douglas, and his replacement who is an aging Devin Hester.
Now I personally thought the perfect replacement for Roddy White was already on the roster in Drew Davis, but the Falcons got rid of him this offseason. In came Leonard Hankerson (a Shanahan guy who I’m not sold on) and some 2nd year players who barely saw the field last year.
Now we have plenty of other needs at this time, but it would be wise to get a partner for Julio while Roddy is still producing so we can bring him along and not thrust him into the pressure cooker. I wouldn’t use a top 2 round pick on a WR but 3-4 rounds would be a nice spot to grab a guy.
Draft Picks
Round 1: Pick 8-
Who I want: Dante Fowler Jr - OLB - Florida
My original realistic pick here was Shane Ray but after his citation for possession of marijuana on Monday, it is obvious he is no longer an option at the #8 pick. So my new pick is a player we would have to work to get, but is the best player for us in the draft. Dante Fowler was recruited to UF by now Falcons Head Coach Dan Quinn. Quinn coached Fowler for 2 years and has expressed his desire to be reunited with Fowler in Atlanta. Now in order for this to happen the Falcons would need to package some picks and move up to either 3 or 5 to snag him depending on what Tennessee does. As Clayton and I have discussed before, Fowler is not the best pure pass rusher in the draft, however he is the best all around player of the top pass rushers. I think he is exactly what we need, and can be the cornerstone of this defense (along with Trufant) for the next decade.
Who I think we get: Vic Beasley - OLB - Clemson
Vic Beasley is a guy that has been projected anywhere from 3rd overall down to 11th overall. He is an elite pass rushing talent, but his lack of size does scare me a bit but I think he is well worth the pick. He has an NFL ready spin move that could terrorize the NFC South for the next decade. If he is still there at #8 the Falcons won’t hesitate to turn in that pick card.
Round 2: Pick 42-
Who I want: Quentin Rollins - CB/S - Miami (Ohio)
This pick was very tough for me. We have a few needs that need to be addressed here, but some of those positions didn’t have good value players at this spot. Rollins might not be the best DB available when we get to this pick but he has great upside for someone with as little experience as him. He plays the ball in the air tremendously well but struggles with his assignments in coverage. He is a stout run support DB as well, which is huge for us. The big plus for him is he has the ability to play corner or safety which are both areas of need for us, which is why I think he is such a good pick here.
Who I think we get: Maxx Williams - TE - Minnesota
I am wary of taking a tight end here because it is so hard to evaluate this position in college and how well they will transition to the NFL. The Falcons have missed horribly in the past when drafting tight ends to replace Tony Gonzalez. Many people have compared Williams to Rob Gronkowski, now if he can be even close to that then I would be ecstatic with this pick, but I just don’t see that happening. We’ve seen so many highly touted TE’s be merely average at the next level. I think we have too many needs to take Williams here, but if he can live up to the hype it could end up being a huge steal for the Falcons. With that being said, I think we take him here simply based on the players available that don’t match our needs and the potential he has.
Round 3: Pick 73-
Who I want: AJ Cann - G - South Carolina
I’ve seen Cann projected anywhere from the early 40’s to the late 70’s. I personally think he will be here for us at #73. Now maybe that is wishful thinking but if the great Mel Kiper Jr. has him in the 3rd round I am inclined to think he has a good chance of being there. Cann would be a huge value pick here, being the 2nd rated player at his position in the draft. He doesn’t exactly fit the zone blocking scheme because he lacks quick agility off the snap, but he is just too good to pass up here when we have a need at that LG spot.
Who I think we get: Ifo Ekpre-Olomu - CB - Oregon
With pass rush and tight end taken care of in the first 2 rounds I think the Falcons target the secondary here. He has first round talent but a knee injury has hurt his value, but in the 3rd round this is a steal. He does have a bit of a scary style of play, trying to bait QB’s that often puts him in bad positioning, unorthodox tackling at times, and doesn’t have great top speed to stick deep down field. However, I think he has great raw ability, won’t be bullied into opening up too early, and is great on the fly. With Trufant and Alford already set at CB1 and CB2 I think this is the perfect place for a guy like Ifo who can come in without a lot of pressure and just learn the system and hold his own. If we don’t get Rollins in the 2nd I would be happy with this pick here.
Round 4: Pick 107-
Who I want: Chris Conley - WR - Georgia
As a Georgia fan i’ve always loved Conley, but the rest of America didn’t even know about him, that is until his impressive combine performance. He ran a 4.35 40 and also had a 45” vert which is just ridiculous. Now some team might jump on him late in the 3rd round but I feel like he might be there due to his lack of precise route running and his drops that he had at the combine. If we could get him and have him learn under one of the most disciplined and impressive route runners in Roddy White, then he could be ready to explode onto the scene in 2 years when Roddy is ready to give up the WR2 role.
Who I think we get: Josue Matias - OL - Florida State
The value of this pick is in the fact that as an impressive LG he also has Tackle experience. He could play any spot along the line for us which adds to his value here. He has good footwork off the snap and is quick to get his hands on his opponent. There are plenty of impact players left at this spot but we need help on the offensive line and he can step in at other positions when the injury bug strikes as it has the past 2 years.
Round 5: Pick 146-
Who I want: Jeremy Langford - RB - Michigan State
This would be the ideal pick here, if a team doesn’t jump on him early. Running back is a position where we can improve, but we are decent at already. Devonta Freeman seems poised to impress with an increased role with the departure of Steven Jackson, and Antone Smith should bounce back from a leg injury that cut short his very impressive 2014 campaign. He is a very good pass blocker and pass catcher out of the backfield, something current Chicago Bear Jacquizz Rodgers provided for the Falcons in the past. His downside is he isn’t the type to take on contact and fight through it. Seems more like the type to bounce it outside a lot, but with him being our 3rd string back I think that is ok.
Who I think we get: Jeremy Langford - RB - Michigan State
I think this is the guy we end up with.
Round 6: Pick 185-
Who I want: Wes Saxton - TE - South Alabama
In the 6th round you are almost always getting a project. What better project than a tight end who runs a 4.65 40 who has very good hands. He is a poor blocker, but that’s what the other 5 TE’s on our roster are for. He won't be brought in and asked to produce right away, but he could be a good situational player that has a chance to prove himself and earn a larger role in year 2.
Who I think we get: Rannell Hall - WR -Central Florida
Here we have a guy that can come in and offer depth at the WR spot while also playing special teams. He has good vertical speed as a former track star, but needs to work on his hands and route running. This is basically a chance pick, that could workout or not but won’t have a huge impact if it doesn’t.
Round 7: Pick 225-
Who I want: JaCorey Shepherd - CB - Kansas
Project corner with great ball skills, but lacks the the true speed to stick with NFL WR’s. Basically a depth pick, most likely ends up on the practice squad.
Who I think we get: Ray Drew - DE - Georgia
Surprise, surprise, another Georgia Alum on my list. Drew is a guy that arrived in Athens with huge expectations and just never reached them. You would think that would fuel his desire at the next level, but I fear he failed to meet the hype simply because he just doesn’t have that desire to be one of the best. He has many flaws to his game, but at this stage in the draft you are just looking for anybody with potential, and the fact he was once a highly touted recruit means there is something in his game worth looking at.
Round 7: Pick 249-
Who I want: JR Tavai - LB - USC
This is a high motor, high effort guy that has played LB and DT in his college career. He has the aggression and the desire to possibly earn a special teams spot in his rookie year.
Who I think we get: Joey Mbu - DT - Houston
High character guy that just goes out and handles business. Not gonna do anything great but is a solid guy.
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