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Even though this year's NFL draft was considered weak by many, multiple teams upgraded themselves with young talent. We'll forecast the impact of the draft for each of the four teams in the NFC South. Let's take a look and see who were the winners and/or losers in the 2009 draft.
ATLANTA FALCONS
The Atlanta Falcons went into the draft with multiple holes on defense. They filled the need of tight end with the pre-draft trade with Kansas City for Tony Gonzalez. The Falcons traded down in the draft and picked up the first pick in the seventh round. The Falcons had eight selections overall, and seven of the eight picks went toward the defensive side of the ball.
The first pick in their draft was Peria Jerry at #24 in the first round. Jerry has an A draft grade by many and is looked at as possibly the best DT in the draft. Jerry should help the defensive line be more stout against the run and give John Abraham some help with the pass rush.
With the Falcons not retaining Lawyer Milloy they had a need for strong safety. It wasn't a huge surprise for Atlanta to go with safety in the second round. They nabbed William Moore, SS out of Missouri. Moore was considered a top ten talent after his junior year but he was slowed by injuries and inconsistent play last season. Even though Moore's stock dropped he was still viewed as possibly the most talented safety in the draft. If Moore pans out he will definitely have been a steal for the Falcons.
The Falcons also had holes at linebacker, corner, and defensive end. The corner positions were addressed in the third and fifth rounds. Both corners selected run in the mid 4.4 range and could provide depth or even push to start. Chris Owens San Jose St(3rd round) is 5'10, 181lbs and is considered a good man to man cover-corner. He was projected to go much later but the Falcons have had their eye on him for some time.
The fifth round selection, William Middleton was a three year starter and team captain out of Furman. He is 5'10, 193lbs and is a quality corner and high-character guy.
In the fourth round the Falcons may have struck gold with the pick of DE Lawrence Sidbury. Sidbury, out of Richmond was projected to go in the second round but fell to the Falcons with pick #125. Sidbury is a highly-talented pass rusher and ran a 4.5 forty at the combine. So far Jamaal Anderson has been a bust and may lose his starting job this season. Sidbury should also help the Falcons pass rush this season and I'm sure was the pick was popular with John Abraham.
In the fifth round the Falcons also picked up OT Garrett Reynolds from North Carolina. Garrett, 6'8, 310lbs. was a three-year starter for the Tar Heels. He will be a quality backup and fill a hole created by the retirement of OT Todd Weiner.
In the sixth round the Falcons added LB Spencer Adkins out of Miami. Spencer was the first Miami player drafted at pick number 176. He is a bit undersized at 5'11, 230lbs and should be a quality backup/special teams player.
The last pick was DT Vance Walker out of Georgia Tech. He has good size at 6'2, 295lbs and was projected to go in the middle rounds of the draft. His stock dropped because of a lackluster senior season in which he battled a concussion and ankle injuries. The Falcons may have gotten another steal here as well.
Overall, the Falcons addressed almost all of their needs in the trade for Gonzalez and the draft. The only place I see they are still thin is at linebacker. We know Peterson and Lofton will be starters, but it's still up in the air on who will start the other linebacker position. Coy Wire filled in last year and was solid but unspectacular. Stephen Nicholas is younger, faster, and more athletic and hopefully will push for the starting position. Past these four guys Atlanta doesn't have much linebacker depth so look for them to add some more players in free agency. The Falcons drafted very well and this could be an A draft if William Moore and any of the other draftees pan out. DRAFT GRADE: B+
Like Atlanta, the Saints went into the draft looking to bolster their defense. The Saints were the most aggressive players in free agency in the south and made some good acquisitions. Keeping Jonathan Vilma was big, but the additions of Gregg Williams as the defensive coordinator and S Darren Sharper should help as well.
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