2011 Senior Bowl: 10 Players Atlanta Falcons Fans Should Watch
For the Atlanta Falcons, the Senior Bowl is of particular importance.
Many of the best players in college football declare for the draft immediately upon becoming eligible and often get taken very high.
The Falcons, though, place an emphasis on drafting players who graduated from college. They want athletes who are smart, hard-working and dependable—viewing the earning of a degree as an indication of those qualities.
The Senior Bowl is the last chance for these upperclassmen to show off their skills in a competitive game situation, and the Falcons will be looking for prospects who can fill some needs on the team.
For the purposes of this piece, we'll look at Atlanta's five biggest positional needs:
- Depth at cornerback
- Another pass-rusher
- An explosive secondary receiver
- A change-of-pace back
- Help on the offensive line
We'll start out by looking at why the needs exist, then take a peek at two players from each position who could immediately step in and fill the respective hole.
Hopefully you have NFL Network and can catch the game, which will kick off at 4:00 p.m. EST on Saturday, January 29.
1. Depth at Cornerback
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The problems that were evident all year long in the secondary were exemplified by the thrashing Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers gave the Falcons in the playoffs.
Atlanta spent big money on corner Dunta Robinson last offseason, making them unlikely to go out and splurge on a free agent like Nnamdi Asomugha this year. Fortunately for the Falcons, the cornerback position is thought to be very deep in the 2011 Draft.
Maybe the coaching staff believes that Robinson will improve in his second year in their system and that he and Brent Grimes can be the anchors in a shutdown secondary.
Regardless, the position needs depth, as Chris Owens was routinely singled out in the playoff loss. The man Owens was replacing in that game, Brian Williams, will be a free agent this year, is aging and has now had knee injuries in consecutive seasons.
It seems some talented youth is needed.
Here are two players the Falcons will get a good look at this Saturday.
Rashad Carmichael, Virginia Tech
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Carmichael is a good cover corner—particularly in man coverage—and has good ball skills. He is also similar to Brent Grimes in that he is a bit undersized.
The biggest knock on Carmichael is that he is not great in run support and could stand some work on his tackling skills.
That shouldn't be of too much concern for the Falcons, however, as they need someone who can cover and force turnovers, which Carmichael has shown the ability to do.
Curtis Brown, Texas
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Brown does not appear to have the playmaking ability of Carmichael, but he is a better defender in zone coverage and is also equally capable in man. According to Sideline Scouting, quarterbacks threw away from him during his time at Texas, which limited his chances to make interceptions.
He too will need to improve his tackling ability, as he has shown a knack for missing ball carriers in the open field.
It is also of note that both Brown and Carmichael are said to be high-character guys.
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2. Another Pass-Rusher
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John Abraham totaled 13 sacks in 2010 and drew much attention from opposing offensive linemen, but no other Falcon defensive lineman could really take advantage and get to the quarterback.
The Falcons use a heavy rotation of D-linemen, with guys like Jamal Anderson playing both end and tackle.
This means they could look to get someone in the draft who is versatile enough to play inside and out, or go after a pure pass-rushing defensive end.
It is also possible that someone like Lawrence Sidbury will step up and make this a moot point, but for now, let's take a look at two of the top pass-rushing defensive linemen who will be on display at the Senior Bowl.
Allen Bailey, Miami (FL)
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Although he has been a bit inconsistent, Bailey totaled seven sacks in each of the past two seasons, has a great motor on the field and possesses a tremendous work ethic.
He is also capable of playing both tackle and end, as he started at both during different points of his college career.
Bailey is listed at No. 27 on ESPN's Big Board. While you never really know where a player will be taken until draft day, the Falcons could be forced to use their No. 1 pick (No. 27 overall) if they wish to get their hands on him.
A Georgia native (Sapelo Island), Bailey could be well worth the investment.
Ryan Kerrigan, Purdue
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Kerrigan will enter the draft with some injury concerns, but when he's on the field he can flat out get to the passer.
He upped his sack total from seven in 2008 to 11 in 2009 and had 12.5 in 2010. He also holds the all-time Big Ten record with 14 forced fumbles, showing superb ability to knock the ball free when he reaches the quarterback.
At 255 pounds, he would need to put on weight to play defensive end in the NFL, but the potential is there. He also might not last long enough on draft day for the Falcons to take him.
3. An Explosive Secondary Receiver
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Michael Jenkins is a good possession receiver who corrected some drop issues and became a reliable target for Matt Ryan in 2010. The problem is that he has little burst and has difficulty getting separation.
Roddy White has great speed, but he rarely got behind the secondary last season, and the Falcons lacked the ability to stretch the field and loosen things up for their running and underneath passing games.
Luckily for them, there are some players available who can blow the top off a defense and would provide some much needed explosiveness to Atlanta's offense.
Leonard Hankerson, Miami (FL)
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Hankerson set a Miami school record with 13 touchdown catches last year—pretty good since he didn't exactly have a consistent quarterback throwing him the ball in Jacory Harris.
He has had a bit of a problem with drops in his career, but is said to be a hard worker. He's also upped his production every year he's been in college and has the ability to run vertically past defenders.
He averaged 17.8 yards-per-catch in 2009 and 16.1 in 2010 with a career long of 79 yards. He will need to improve his focus and concentration to avoid dropping the ball at the next level.
Vincent Brown, San Diego State
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According to Sideline Scouting, Brown "projects as a solid number two or three receiver at the next level, won't take over games, but can contribute at a high level as a secondary target."
That sounds perfect for what the Falcons need.
Brown has enough speed to get behind the defense and is also adept at breaking tackles and picking up yards after the catch. He had receptions of 50 or more yards in six games this past season, with two of them going for greater than 80 yards.
Brown got better as the 2010 season went along, and against TCU's stingy defense went off for 167 yards and two touchdowns on four catches.
He averaged a mind-blowing 19.6 YPC in his senior year.
4. A Change-Of- Pace Back
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The Falcons running game is effective because of its ability to wear down defenses and keep possession. Michael Turner has been a great back for the team during his three years in Atlanta, but there is some concern that his tires are getting a little thin.
Turner lacked his signature explosiveness in 2010, although that could be due to a groin injury he suffered in Week 2.
Atlanta has a capable backup runner in Jason Snelling, however he is too similar to Turner to offer a change-up for opposing defenses.
Jerious Norwood was supposed to be the answer for the Falcons in that regard, but he has proven to be too injury prone for the NFL and the team will likely let him walk as a free agent.
While an explosive receiver would help them to strike quickly on offense, a change-of-pace running back could also do the trick.
If Turner is still able to maintain possession and tire defenses, a speedy replacement at the right time could break games open.
These are two candidates.
Roy Helu, Nebraska
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Helu may not be a game-changing speed back, but his above average speed allowed him to average 6.6 yards-per-carry and break some big runs.
In five separate games during the 2010 season, Helu had longs of over 50 yards, with four of them being better than 60.
The biggest concern with him is his durability, a road the Falcons may not want to go down after living with Norwood.
Bilal Powell, Louisville
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Capable of going the distance on any given play, Powell is someone the Falcons should take a long, hard look at.
Some are worried that his productive 2010 season was not a true measure of who he is considering he didn't do much in his first three years. Still, he was incredibly productive this past season and he should be available later in the draft.
He doesn't rely just on his speed, but also on a good array of open field moves to eat up yards. If his 6.1 YPC average in 2010 translates to the NFL, he could help take Atlanta's offense to the next level.
5. Help On The Offensive Line
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This isn't necessarily a great need and the Falcons aren't likely to spend a high draft pick on an offensive lineman.
Sam Baker struggled in pass protection throughout the year and had a number of critical penalties called on him. The Falcons also had difficulty running the ball on his side of the line.
The coaches could feel that this is just a step in his progression and that he'll be better next year, or they could opt to move Baker inside and get someone else to step in at left tackle.
These are two players whom Falcons fans might want to keep their eye on should Atlanta choose to draft some O-line help.
Anthony Castonzo, Boston College
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Castonzo is considered possibly the best offensive line prospect in this year's draft, so the Falcons probably won't have a chance to select him with their pick, unless they decide to trade up.
Given the other holes on the team, that is unlikely, but he's worth taking a look at anyway.
Castonzo is a good run blocker and is even better in pass protection. It's possible he will slip a bit because scouts believe he's a better fit at right tackle than left, although he'll be taken quickly regardless.
Derek Sherrod, Mississippi State
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Sherrod (79) is very big and is above average in pass protection. He's also more likely to be selected by the Falcons if they want an offensive lineman because he's not as highly rated as Castonzo.
Again, it is not very probable that the Falcons will spend a high draft pick on an offensive lineman. If they do, though, Sherrod could be their guy.
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