Falcons Draft Review - Dimitroff Says No Need to Rush

It doesn't seem that long ago does it? So long ago when the fortunes of the Falcons seemed to be false gold, our team as leaderless as they came, and some wannabe professional coach ran back to college crying.

Well it wasn't until Arthur Blank got angry and brought in the braintrust of Thomas Dimitiroff and Mike Smith that our franchise was turned around. The benefits of our front office and management is unquestioned to be sure, and so far has given us more than we could have hoped after 2007.

The season is near and taking a look back at our completed draft, one can maybe openly question the direction our draft took as we did not take an defensive end. Maybe question the man that brought us Matt Ryan, or Curtis Lofton, Thomas Decoud, Christopher Owens, or so on and so on. Not farfetched for a team that had just bolstered themselves in the secondary by acquiring Dunta Robinson, but still had questions in the pass rush department.

Here is a pick by pick breakdown with "what-could-have-been" comparisons per round done for the millionth time as a refresher before the preseason is upon us.

NFL Draft Round 1 - Sean Weatherspoon

With it quite clear toward the end of last year when a soon to be 34 Mike Peterson struggled a tad, that we needed an infusion of youth and talent at the OLB position, I loved this pick. This guy can do it all, a jack of all trades, the swiss army knife of linebackers if you will.

Playing in the Big 12 against so many spread offenses Weatherspoon can cover well despite his 239 lb frame. He can get into the backfield, cover and play the run as his staggering 155 tackles in 2008

"It's definitely an advantage to have guys that can run and matchup with tight ends and running backs that we are going to face in our division."
Falcons head coach Mike Smith said.

Weatherspoon is a great character player of course, the Falcons brass love the long tenured, character and leader types as collegiates. Natural leader and passionate player, odds are good that Weatherspoon becomes a great player for years to come.

Who else was available before we picked next:

(21) Cincinnati Bengals Jermaine Gresham TE
(22) Denver Broncos Demaryius Thomas WR
(31) Indianapolis Colts Jerry Hughes OLB
(23) Green Bay Packers Bryan Bulaga OT
(24) Dallas Cowboys Dez Bryant WR
(39) Tampa Bay Buccaneers Arrelious Benn WR
(54) Cincinnati Bengals Carlos Dunlap DE

NFL Draft Round 3 - Corey Peters

I must admit I do not know much about Corey Peters, it's safe to say it's not often I make it a point to watch Kentucky football.

Most of the draft pundits and experts list his qualities as being a one gap penetrating defensive tackle that plays the run well.

Most of the same people also use adjectives such as lazy, or requiring work to develop into more of a pass rushing tackle. Some other people believe the lack of other players around him caused fluctuations in his production. I like the depth and rotational wealth we seem to have now to keep our interior line fresh and effective.

Who else was available before we picked next :

(86) Philadelphia Eagles Daniel Te'o-Nesheim DE
(93) Kansas City Chiefs Tony Moeaki TE

NFL Draft Round 3 - Mike Johnson

The more I read and watch of Mike Johnson, the more I like the guy and the pick. In 2008, the Tide averaged 184.6 rushing yards per game, and Johnson was named to the All-SEC Second Team.

In 2009, the Tide averaged 215.9 rushing yards per game while going undefeated winning the SEC title and a berth in the BCS National Championship.

He is described by draft pundits as a intelligent and nimble offensive lineman, who even filled in for 2009 first round draft pick Andre Smith at LT.

He is known as an excellent technician with solid fundamentals, taking correct angles and meeting the challenge head on.

Many experts say that he can work on finishing his blocks or playing with more of an edge. I can think of a few guys along the right side of the line that might show him a thing or two about that.

Who else was available before we picked next :

(113) New England Patriots Aaron Hernandez TE
(127) Seattle Seahawks E.J. Wilson DE

NFL Draft Round 4 - Joseph Hawley

Again another smaller school player which had me a tad befuddled at this stage during the draft day, as we continued to stockpile offensive lineman and leave our DE position as is.

Joseph Hawley has been described as possessing the speed and quickness to be a very effective blocker downfield and can play center and guard. Is a very smart football player and can pick up stunts and blitzes he is responsible for.

Experts also say that at times Hawley can be overpowered and must add on some weight and increase his strength. His game is a smart one, and he knows when engage his second level blocks well.

Who else was available before we picked next :

(127) Seattle Seahawks E.J. Wilson DE
(134) Philadelphia Eagles Ricky Sapp DE

NFL Draft Round 5 - Dominique Franks

I love this pick and Franks at this pick provides a great project cornerback who has excelled in the pass-happy Big 12. He is an decent coverage cornerback who has size but suspect hands.

He is an immediate special teams contributor and can step in and provide a spark to the team returning kicks and punts.

Other than the suspect hands and dropping of interceptions, other minuses in regards to Franks has been the penchant of talking a bit too much on the field, and losing focus. I do not doubt that with our structure and coaching staff, that this will not be remedied before long.

Who else was available before we picked next :

(158) New Orleans Saints Matt Tennant OC
(149) St. Louis Rams Hall Davis DE

NFL Draft Round 5 - Kerry Meier

A converted QB with athletic skills to spare, Kerry Meier has had his ups and downs of late. In 2008, he became a clutch go to receiver with a good deal of size, good hands and lots of football smarts. Excellent route running ability coupled with sure hands just might make more than a PS WR out of Meier.

97 catches, 1,045 receiving yards and eight TD's for the former QB out of Kansas. I am sure his versatility is not lost on Mike Mularkey who loves the gadget plays.

He recently lost his brother, and I am sure will be using that as a motivational drive to make a difference.

With Brian Finneran near the end, Kerry Meier can hopefully step in and fill a role with the Falcons.

Who else was available before we picked next :

(166) Pittsburgh Steelers Stevenson Sylvester OLB
(170) St. Louis Rams Fendi Onobun TE

NFL Draft Round 6 - Shann Schillinger

Schillinger earned first team all-Big Sky honors in 2009 after making 90 tackles and intercepting four passes for the second straight season, including two in Montana's run to the FCS championship game.

He had a team-best 13 tackles and an interception in a semifinal win over

Who else was available before we picked next:

(175) Carolina Panthers Greg Hardy DE
(186) Cleveland Browns Clifton Geathers DE
(189) St. Louis Rams Eugene Sims DE
(192) Buffalo Bills Dan Batten DE

What Do You Think?

What do you think? Do you think we took the right steps to improving and challenging for the NFC South title and playoffs? Does the lack of DE help concern you? Does a trade for someone like Osi Umenyiora, or a free agent like John Henderson make sense?

The NFL Draft has been completed for quite some time now, and this slideshow is pure speculation in a sea of by now endless draft reports, grade sheets and articles.

In truth draft "grades" issued by draft "experts" are just as hit and miss as any. Three or four years from now we will know, but as of right now do you feel there are some questions?

Ultimately, I feel this 2010 draft was a message from TD to the team, the city and the fanbase. And that is that despite our Jamal Anderson worries, John Abraham having an off year, and our poor pass rush hurt us last year, he is not worried.

I was not convinced in the early going, but the more I thought about our situation and that maybe we aren't done tinkering, how can I question the man?

TD says that they "hit on all their picks" and that "they got almost all of their players they wanted at the picks they had"

The Falcons also coveted Florida offensive lineman Maurkice Pouncey, but he was taken one pick earlier by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the first round. Also our second round pick is basically Tony Gonzalez as the trade went down a year before with the Kansas City Chiefs.

What do you think?