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I've been trying to keep an eye out for players similar to Dexter McCluster and Jernigan might fit the bill. He's an all purpose player that as game breaking speed. The Falcon's could use a home run threat but because of his size probably will last till the middle of round 2 or 3.If he is the real deal why not use a 2nd rounder on him? Wouldn't it be nice to have a home run threat returning punts and kickoffs and eventually could be the long ball threat at receiver?



Jernigan & The Other Trojans
Posted By Scott Wright
Most casual fans probably don’t even know where Troy University is (it’s in Alabama) but lately the Trojans have been significant players on Draft Day. In fact, it seems like this “small” school is producing more early round picks than a lot of so-called “major” programs. It all started with Osi Umenyiora (2nd Round in 2003), followed by DeMarcus Ware (1st Round in 2005), Leodis McKelvin (1st Round in 2008) and Sherrod Martin (2nd Round in 2009). This past April the Trojans had not one, not two but three players selected (Cameron Sheffield, Jorrick Calvin and Levi Brown) in the mid to late rounds. That equaled traditional powerhouses like Michigan, Florida State, Nebraska and UCLA.

Jerrel Jernigan will help carry on that tradition.

A dynamic all-around threat, Jernigan has proven to be a dangerous weapon as a pass catcher, runner, return man and thrower. For his career Jernigan has racked up 219 receptions for 2,811 yards (12.8 avg.) and 17 touchdowns, carried the ball 106 times for 656 yards (6.2 avg.) and 3 touchdowns, returned 75 kicks for a 25.3 yard average with 2 touchdowns and 14 punts for a 15.0 yard average and 1 touchdown. Jernigan is also used as a “Wildcat” quarterback at times and even threw a touchdown pass in 2008. And he still has half of his senior season left to pad those totals! An explosive speed demon who reportedly runs a 4.32 forty, Jernigan is an electric athlete and an absolute terror in space due to his outstanding quickness and terrific agility. It’s not an exaggeration to say that Jernigan has the ability to score every time he touches the ball, from anywhere on the field. Even though Jernigan lacks the ideal size that scouts look for on paper (5-8⅞, 181) he certainly doesn’t look slight and actually appears to have a relatively solid build similar to that of a running back. Jernigan is also very tough and plays bigger than his measurements might otherwise indicate. Even though Jernigan is still flying under the radar at this point he is clearly one of the top senior wideouts in the country and a potential second or third round pick in the 2011 NFL Draft. Jernigan has already been invited to the Senior Bowl, which will provide him with an opportunity to showcase his talents on a national stage.

In todays NFL, the more you can do the better. This has rung especially true in recent years, with a number of teams having no qualms about using premium draft picks on multi-purpose performers and specialists. Perhaps the best example of this phenomenon came in the 2010 NFL Draft, when the Kansas City Chiefs used an early second round pick, #36 overall, on Ole Miss jack-of-all-trades Dexter McCluster even though he didn’t profile as a full-time starter at a specific position. Troy’s Jerrel Jernigan may not come off the board quite that early but he has the potential to be a similar type of player at the next level, which should make him a valuable commodity on Draft Day.

Highlight reel

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=63lbmKiBWl0

I wasn't that impressed with Jernigan in the one Troy game I saw this year vs. Middle Tennessee to think that he merited that high a pick. But he's a nice slot option.

I hope Jernigan does better than you expect since the draft at receiver or running back possibly lacks speed players. I'll continue to look at this player since I can't find any other game breaking receivers or all purpose players which I think the Falcon's need.

I don't necessarily think the Falcons need a McCluster-type.

I think the Falcons getting out an outside threat at wide receiver that can also potentially work in the slot early on is more important.

As for getting a homerun threat at RB, it depends on the prospect, but I dont' think that is a need. I think instead of looking for a complementary threat, I think the Falcons need to start looking more at the back that will potentially replace Turner in a year or two. I'm not sold that player is Jason Snelling. And that sort of player needs to have the potential to carry the rock 20-25 times, rather than be a guy that is best when he only gets 5-10 touches.

Now, I'm not saying we shouldn't look at some speed backs. But from what I've seen so far this year, there are only a few speed backs in this draft class that won't be repeats of Norwood. I don't want another Norwood.