2008 NFL Draft: Falcons Have No Excuse for Failure

Welcome to the 2008 NFL draft, complete with a new logo debut, a shorter first day of selections, and the chance for all teams to walk away from Day One (presumably) much improved.

New Atlanta Falcons GM Thomas Dimitroff has a lot of chances to come out of the first day of the draft smelling like a rose.

And he should, given the options he'll have. With the rebuilding of the franchise and all the needs the Falcons have, it should be fairly impossible for Dimitroff to make a bad choice.

As most know, many eyes will be watching Dimitroff in his first year as a GM and how he drafts. Most of the predictions are that he will follow in the Patriots mold from which he came.

The possibility of the Falcons trading down for more picks is quite high. The potential workings of a trade are varied, so we'll leave it at basics.

Trading for a lower first round pick and a third round pick with a player possibly thrown in seems most likely. The question is will the possible trade scenarios will compensate the Falcons for the value of their No. 3 overall pick.

Let's assume the Falcons don't trade and select third.

Many mock drafts have the Falcons taking Matt Ryan to be the future franchise QB. Taking Ryan isn't a bad idea—until you consider that the offensive line the Falcons put together this year will not be cohesive.

This assumes that Ryan is still available, because Miami may be tempted grab him. What's more, the Falcons might decide to use a later pick on a QB like Joe Flacco, Brian Brohm, or others projected in the later rounds.

Jake Long makes the most sense to many because left tackle is a position Atlanta had problems with last year.

Without Wayne Gandy, they have nothing but injured cannon fodder at that position. Long has undeniable skills and would be a substantial upgrade for the offensive line. He's the type of guy you draft as a nucleus for an offensive line in the rebuilding phase.

Offensive tackle Ryan Clady is another fine choice, but probably not as the No. 3 pick. Trading the pick and picking up Clady a bit later on would make more sense. Jeff Otah and Gosden Cherlius fall into this category also.

After the signing of Michael Turner, Darren McFadden is almost certainly not an option for Atlanta. I usually never say never, but in this case, I'm  fairly certain.

That brings us to Glenn Dorsey and Sedrick Ellis, either of whom would be an instant defensive upgrade. If the Falcons trade down, another defensive option may be DT Dre Moore out of Maryland.

At any rate, Dimitroff has it easy in his first draft, as it would be hard for the Falcons to blow it on Day One.