2010 Falcons Draft Discussion

[TheFalconsFan]

Good grief what is it with us drafting guys in our secondary under 6'0''......Speed???

[Bosanac01]

TD's draft strategy: Draft more white guys.

[Bosanac01]

The draft was pretty boring, looking forward to the UDFAs.

[kiranadwaney]

chalres davis gave us a b chavous gave us a c grade

[Bosanac01]

We deserve an A ++ if you're grading by character. Holy **** the guys we took, we all underestimated how highly TD and Mike Smith value good character guys and FBI (football intelligence) as they call it.

[Shiver]

Originally Posted by kiranadwaney

chalres davis gave us a b chavous gave us a c grade

B-/C+ sounds about right. Then again I would have given the '07 class an A+ and look how that turned out. (**** you Petrino, **** you McKay)

[ATLDirtyBirds]

Alright, here we go.


Round 1: Sean Weatherspoon
Grade: A

You have to think it was Graham, Morgan, Pouncey, and Spoon. All of those guys gone, this is a no brainer. Graham's probably the only one I'd take over Spoon anyway. Maybe Pouncey. But yeah, Spoon is a huge upgrade. He can really do it all and brings some of that swagger to the Atlanta defense. Not only is he going to start, but he's honestly got a chance at being the DROY. I'm talking Cushing like impact. His presence means we create some more competition between Peterson and Nicholas too. And if Peterson wins out there, we can take him out on 3rd down situations because he killed us there. Just a great selection overall. Very excited.

Round 3: DT Corey Peters
Grade: D

What? That's probably the only thing I can say. He's just simply not that great. Nothing special about him in any way shape or form. The best thing we've heard about him is "the more Kentucky tape you watch, the more you notice him." That's something you say about grabbing a player in the 5th round. This was a big time reach. I think TD is nervous about possibly losing Babs for a couple games/Jerry's injury concerns so he reached bad on a DT. But if I went to you tomorrow saying, do you want to start Vance Walker or Corey Peters, what do you say? So basically we spent our 3rd rounder on our #4 DT this year who's upside is probably a #3 DT. Awesome.

Round 3b. Mike Johnson
Grade: A

Very nice pick. Versatility. Can play anywhere on the line and gives us a lot of insurance in the next few seasons when we have to make some tough decisions (Clabo, Dahl, Blalock). So at worst, he's very good depth to have. From everything I've seen and read, he's got it all too. Smart, natural bender, good run/pass blocker, versatile, expierence, etc. Everything you look for. The only knocks are that his footwork needs refining and he's not a great athlete. Don't really see a reason why he can't become a good to very good guard in this league.

Round 4: Joe Hawley
Grade: C+

You could justify the grade being higher, because we went out and got a center. That's something we needed. I obviously think Tennant was the pick to make, but how can we be sure on this? Maybe Matt didn't give him a great review. Maybe we think this kid has a higher upside. I don't know all that much about him to bash it too much though. He put up 35 reps at the combine and is described as a scrappy mauler. I don't know. We shall see.

Round 5: Dominique Franks
Grade: A

Great value here. Most had him as a 2nd/3rd and there really hasn't been any justification for his falling. Only reason this pick isn't an A+ is because I preferred Perrish Cox. But Franks has very good size and is a playmaker. I like that a lot. He's not at an NFL level mentally yet, but he can certainly be coached up there. Just tremendous value. I could very easily see him developing into a #2 type in the next couple of seasons. TD mentioned his return abilities too which I don't know a ton about.


Round 5b: Kerry Meier
Grade: C+

Hello new Brian Finneran. Great size, finds a way to get open, has solid hands, and is a good blocker. That's about it though. Zero explosion or big play ability, and he struggles to get off the line. It's not a bad pick, because Finn might not have anything left in the tank and this guy is a clone of him. However, we couldn't have went after someone with some actual potential or projection here? We just got a #4 WR for a few years, that's about it.

Round 6b. Shann Schllinger
Grade: F

Good pro day results, but that's it. Really can't even be a backup at this point. At best he's a good ST player. Just a wasted pick in my mind. He's going to get cut. This is the top of the 6th too. Have to do better than this.



Overall: C+. Could have done a lot better. Left a lot of upside on the board and instead felt more comfortable getting depth guys. I don't like that. We need to try and aggressively add pieces that can get us a Super Bowl. Spoon's the only one doing anything this year. And where is our explosion on offense coming from exactly? We took a huge step back in this last year and did jack **** to improve it. We are counting on a slot WR who had 23 catches his rookie season and is coming off a huge knee injury, and a #2 RB who can't stay healthy with a YPC that has gone down every single season in the league. Ouch. You are going to tell me we couldn't have grabbed Dorin Dickerson to make some plays? Carlton Mitchell? Jimmy Graham? etc, etc, etc. I think we'll get back into the playoffs, but unless Matt is going to be a top 5 QB this year or Turner is back to being a top 3 RB, I could very easily see us being 1 and done again.

[Bosanac01]

So we're sure Dunta Robinson will be the #1 CB, #2 will be interesting.

Brian Williams
Dominique Franks
Brent Grimes
Chris Owens
Chevis Jackson


All those guys are very much alike. Anyone that brings it during camp/preseason and they have the #2 spot.

[Bosanac01]

We signed UDFA WR Ryan Wolfe. Highly productive WR from UNLV...



anyone that knows of any more we signed, please post here.

[d34ng3l021]

I think that Weatherspoon addition will come in handy for when the Saints and Panthers run sweeps with Reggie Bush and DeAngelo Williams and when we need someone to cover Kellen Winslow. Lets be honest, there isn't too much speed and coverage ability in our current LB corp and our division rivals can exploit the mismatches. With Weatherspoon on the outside, it gives us a ton of speed to negate pitches and some TEs. He should be a great cover LB, something we havent had since Brooking was in his prime (even then...).

[Bosanac01]

Yea bringing in spoon will help our coverage quite a bit. One of his biggest assets is that he can cover very fast RBs and athletic TEs. He did a great job on dexter mcCluster in the senior bowl. He also brings play making ability to the LBer position. Something we really lack.

[Bosanac01]

We signed Colin Peek and Michael Palmer. Couple of TEs. I'm sure there have a great shot of making the team. Especially with Rader retiring.

Gonzo and Peelle are in the 30 club as well. Zinger is #3, he will compete with them for that spot. Peek is a good blocker, Palmer a good receiver.

[ATLDirtyBirds]

Also signed Garrett Lindholm a K with some ridiculous leg strength.

[Bosanac01]

He's short and pudgy. Made a 64 yard FG in the playoff in D II.

Really I don't see him having a Koenen type impact during pre season. Sure he has a lot of leg strength, but his accuracy doesn't look very good and he lacks consistency. That's just from what I've seen on youtube and looking at his stats.

Hopefully he can come in and make the team. We need someone like him.

[Bosanac01]

So here's the UDFA list (per ajc):

Leroy Banks, TE, Southern Miss, 6-foot-3, 243-pounds: Started his career at Coahoma Junior College. He is from Memphis Whitehaven High.

Tim Buckley, QB, Alcorn State, 6-1, 185: Led the Braves vaunted attack last season.

Rafael Bush, S, S. C. State, 5-11, 195: He was highly productive for the Bulldogs, making 222 career tackles and scored three touchdowns as a senior.

Gabe Derricks, S, San Diego, 6-3, 202: Started for four years at cornerback in college.

Justin Drescher, LS, Colorado, 6-1, 230: A four-year snapper for the Buffaloes.

Weston Johnson, LB, Wyoming, 6-3, 233: Played outside linebacker and was the team captain last season.

Dimitri Nance, RB, Arizona State, 5-9, 224: Parents were born in Liberia. Ran for more than 3,000 yards during one season in high school, but Big 12 schools turned their noses up at him. He had 341 carries for 3,173 yards and 41 touchdowns as a senior while playing in Texas 5Aclassification.

Michael Palmer, TE, Clemson, 6-5, 260: Started all 13 games last season, catching 43 passes for 507 yards and four touchdowns. Played at Parkview High.

Colin Peek, TE, Alabama: He was projected as a fifth or sixth round pick by Pro Football Weekly. Two foot injuries in college probably caused him to drop out of the draft.

Ryan Wolfe, WR, UNLV, 6-1, 205: Visited the Falcons during the pre-draft process. A highly productive receiver, who caught more passes than any receiver in the nation over the past four years with 283 career receptions.

Bear Woods, LB, Troy, 6-0, 245: He had to set out two games last season as part of his appeal to restore his redshirt status with the NCAA. Was the Troy’s leading tackler as a junior with 108.

Also missing is Garrett Lindholm, K. 5'8 190.

I'm surprised no one along the lines.

[D-Rod]

Originally Posted by Bosanac01

So here's the UDFA list (per ajc):



Also missing is Garrett Lindholm, K. 5'8 190.

I'm surprised no one along the lines.

We're pretty stacked along the lines now (although, that said, I'm not sure who'd play LT with any reliability if Baker went down).

I think these guys are mostly going to be showing whether they can play ST.

[Shiver]

Apparently we weren't the only team that wanted Corey Peters:

I love these draft scenarios, in case you hadn't noticed. Here's another one: In Cleveland, midway through the third round, the Browns already had addressed cornerback, safety and running back; now they had two more priority positions to fill: defensive tackle and offensive tackle. They had picks 85 and 92. They had their two guys lined up from about the 70th pick on -- Kentucky defensive tackle Corey Peters and Arizona State tackle Shawn Lauvao. In the draft room, president Mike Holmgren, GM Tom Heckert and coach Eric Mangini, along with a few of the scouts, monitored the draft. Colt McCoy kept sliding.

Read More: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/201...#ixzz0mEbbjzTW
Get a free NFL Team Jacket and Tee with SI Subscription

We took Peters right before they would have.

[Bosanac01]

I created a seperate thread for next years draft:

http://draftcountdown.com/forum/showthread.php?t=41000

[D-Rod]

Originally Posted by Shiver

Apparently we weren't the only team that wanted Corey Peters:

We took Peters right before they would have.

TD knows his stuff. Doubt him not.

Interestingly, Cleveland wasn't even one of the teams that Peters visited, IIRC.

[Bosanac01]

Nice video showing all our draft picks in action.



Schillinger looks like a player there. Another Montana steal? We shall see.

[dunagan15]

Spoon is gonna be a monster, I remeber bout 2 years ago when me n Bos did a mock draft here and I raved for like an hour to Bos that we should get this guy. Im pretty excited for him and our defensive unit.

[Bosanac01]

i remember praying that we get either Spoon, Moore or Hood in last years draft. Then Spoon went back to school and we were able to get 2 of them.

[ATLDirtyBirds]

Quality article.

Still stuck on the Atlanta Falcons draft haul?

No one seems to like a draft that includes an immediate-starter type (that's Sean Weatherspoon for those not following along at home) and a bunch of guys that at worst provide some serious quality depth.

First, if you think quality depth isn't a necessary evil in today's salary-cap NFL (yeah, I know...no cap this year...but just wait, it's coming back) need I remind you of Atlanta's 2009 season? A season that saw the hometown birds scratch and claw--or talon, whichever the case may be--their way to 9-7. They were a few stronger backups away from a playoff appearance in back-to-back seasons.

Second, look at the bigger picture. One of the reasons you're seeing average grades for the Falcons' 2010 draft (average being around a C grade) is because those analysts are looking on the surface. They either want quantity (Is it possible to have two first-round picks and not get an A?) or the sexy names in the middle rounds.

Names like Dickson, Williams, McCoy, Graham, Gilyard, Campbell, McKnight, and Hernandez are all sexy.

Names like Peters, Johnson, Hawley, and Franks aren't sexy.

But let me give you a different spin.

You want sexy names? Here you go:

Dunta Robinson

Tony Gonzalez

I won't use "sexy" anymore in this column, but I think you see where I'm going.

(Safe to say you'd take Gonzalez over any pick at No. 19 in the second round and on? (AP Photo/Dave Martin)

Another way to look at the draft is by viewing it through the eyes of a team executive, say a GM...maybe one the fans (and obviously Weatherspoon as well) call "TD".

What would TD do?

Well, he's looking at his draft picks in tandem with what he accomplished in free agency.

So before we even begin to consider the possibilities that Mike Johnson and Joe Hawley are starters for the Falcons on the offensive line in 2-3 seasons, look in the immediate future. Three starters (and upgrades by all accounts) have been added to this team.

The $57 million-dollar man, Dunta Robinson, comes to Atlanta to shore up a secondary that at times last season seemed to only catch Smith's glaring eye from the sideline.

And of course Tony Gonzalez is already a legend in Atlanta sports. How many team's tight end is paired with the quarterback by the franchise's marketing team as the only players that will absolutely be available to the media on certain days after practice? That speaks volumes about the future Hall of Famer's importance, don't you think?

A few more things on Adonis, I mean Tony Gonzalez.

He's a Hall of Famer, at least a future one. Dimitroff and the Falcons landed him for a second-round pick. This year's second-round pick. So last season they were playing with house money with the tight end that is now entering his 14th season. This season, he's what they get for what would have been their second-round pick.

Also, do you think this is his last season? No way.

He loves this team. After all those years of struggling in Kansas City, you think he's not enjoying this run with the Falcons, a team with some seriously developing young talent? He is and he'll play the length of his contract, which incidentally runs out in 2011.

So three years from the best tight end in the history of the game for this year's second-round pick? Yes, please.

And yes, I heard the pleas for the Falcons to draft a tight end this year.

"Let him learn at the feet of Tony Gonzalez, the best there ever was," they said.

When the Falcons selected guard Mike Johnson, tight ends Aaron Hernandez, Dennis Pitta, Garrett Graham, Clay Harbor, and that guy from Illinois were all still on the board.

Dimitroff went with a guard over the tight end.

My rationale for that is this:

The draft is always a gamble, but I'm much more inclined to gamble that Gonzalez is less likely to sustain an injury than Harvey Dahl will. So which backup would you rather draft there?

Also, look at the first-round tight ends in the last few drafts. Starters, the whole lot of them. And solid ones.

Who knows where the Falcons could be in 2012 when Gonzalez may finally hang it up. He'll be 35 when that season ends and there's a good chance it'll come then. So if Dimitroff follows the draft path he's set already, why wouldn't they be in a position to take a tight end then?

So I repeat, which is more valuable this season? Harvey Dahl's backup or Tony freakin' Gonzalez' backup?

Never mind the fact that Dahl is known as the league's dirtiest player. A dirty player whose contract is up next season. Some team will pay for that nickname and reputation alone. The Falcons...well, they probably won't.

So, in short, look at the Falcons draft in conjunction with free agency. They are not independent of each other. The addition of players comes both ways.

And look at what Atlanta has added.

Weatherspoon, Gonzalez, and Robinson.

And some dudes that may start for your team in a few years.

And I haven't even mention the return of two rookies that essentially lost their entire 2009 season.

[BamaFalcon59]

I don't really take issue with the Johnson pick, or even the Peters pick.

I wasn't a fan of the Hawley pick, however. A backup tightend would have been nice to have, or additional pass rush.

That said, I do see what the author is saying. Our line in two years could be:

LT: Sam Baker
LG: Justin Blaylock (?)
C: Joe Hawley
RG: Mike Johnson
RT: Tyson Clabo

Or Johnson at LG, with Dahl being re-signed. Or a new RT. Or a new LT.

Basically the lineman were needed, and they'll end up playing somewhere.

[Bosanac01]

Joe Hawley was my favorite pick. He's only 21 and he's very athletic and strong. A 4th rounder is a good price to pay for a center that could be the anchor of your line for a very long time. Look at manning and saturday.

I'm not saying he will succeed and have a nfl career like saturday has, but this was a perfect year to draft a center. He has time to learn the offense and study mcclure before he hangs them up, or gets cut.