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Geno Atkins
6-1/293
Georgia Senior

PROS: Has a nice first step and able to push the pocket and shoot gaps to make plays in the backfield. Has a nice motor and capable in pursuit. Can work down the line laterally and shows good closing burst on the ball. Shows good potential as a bull rusher, and has strong upper and lower body to drive blockers into the backfield.
CONS: There are concerns about his conditioning and focus and has a tendency to wear down late in games. Not great when lined up over the nose, relying on quickness instead of power to beat center.
OVERVIEW: He had an up and down career at Georgia, but has the upside to be a top NFL player. Had a breakout sophomore year where he had 7.5 sacks and 14.5 tackles for loss despite only starting 7 games. Had a disappointing junior year with only 7.5 tackles for loss and no sacks, despite starting every game. Only started 3 games as a senior, as the coaches decided he'd be best coming off the bench in the rotation. Rebounded with 3 sacks and 10.5 TFLs.
NFL FORECAST: The concern with Atkins is whether or not he's productive because his snaps are limited, and whether he can provide that same ability when he's working a full workload. I think he can, but at the start he should definitely be coming off the bench. He plays both the 3-technique and nose, and I think he has the ability to excel at the latter, although he is probably a bit more developed at the former currently. He's a guy that won't be a top pass rusher, but gives good effort there in limited snaps and can pressure the quarterback. He can also play the run well. WHen you watch him play, you can't help but be impressed. But you just wonder if he can give you that same ability if he's playing 30-50 snaps per game week in and week out. If he cannot, then he'll be a career backup. I think a good one, but a guy coaches can't trust as a true starter.
ATL FORECAST: Atkins fits well in Atlanta because he can play either tackle technique. He would be a good depth addition and could probably come in immediately and contribute as a No. 3 tackle for the team. He has the upside, but I'm not sure he'd really get the opportunity to be a starter in Atlanta unless the team soured on Jerry (due to durability) at some point in the future. He'd make a nice insurance policy and at least would have the time to develop into a more consistent player.
VALUE: In terms of his potential, he's a nice second round talent. But because of concerns over whether he can be a full-time starter, I'd probably wait until the mid-to-late part of Round 3 to take him.

SKILLS
1-poor, 2-weak, 3-above average, 4-very good, 5-elite

STRENGTH: 4.0
POINT OF ATTACK: 3.0
QUICKNESS: 3.0
PASS RUSH: 3.0
MOTOR: 3.5

Pros- Has very good quickness for a DT, gets upfield quickly off the ball and has a good motor. Has pretty good ability to shed blocks and has a good swim move. Does an ok job of protecting himself against cut blocks, is an alright tackler also. Does a good job of penetrating and spends a lot of time in opponent’s backfields, and is hard to block with just one man. He stands up well to the run when he has a 1 on 1 matchup and plays with good pad level regularly. He can collapse the pocket with a bull rush or penetrate with a swim move, but is more of a QB hurry type player than a sack artist. He works down the line nicely, and is good in pursuit. Seems to read plays alright.

Cons- Does not stand up to double teams well, has a decent ability to rush the passer but rarely seals the deal. Outside of a swim move and a bull rush he is limited as a pass rusher. Can be driven off the ball when doubled or when he doesn’t play with good pad level, but he usually does. Doesn’t have much pop as a hitter and could stand to improve his hand usage. Must develop better pass rush moves to improve as a pass rusher. At times I wonder how well he is conditioned and also I wonder how well he reads plays, as sometimes he will lose track of the ball-carrier in the middle of the play.

Overall: He has the quickness and athletic ability to be an effective pass rusher, he just needs to develop better pass rush moves. He could stand to improve his hand usage, but he does a pretty good job of shedding blocks. He projects well to the UT position in a 4-3 because he gets off the ball quickly and penetrates upfield nicely, but doesn’t handle double teams as well. He is quick off the ball and has a good burst to beat his man, but wouldn’t hold up as a NT in a 4-3 or a 3-4. If he can improve his pass rush moves he could develop into a quality UT in a 4-3, but until then he will be a guy who can penetrate and disrupt plays in the backfield but won’t regularly come away with sacks or TFL’s.

Projection: 3rd round: He projects as a good UT in the NFL, but needs to develop some pass rush moves to be a more effective pass rusher and is only an above-average run defender unless he gets a 1 on 1 matchup. He needs some development but he can develop into a quality UT with some good coaching.

SKILLS
1-poor, 2-weak, 3-above average, 4-very good, 5-elite

STRENGTH: 4.0
POINT OF ATTACK: 3.0
QUICKNESS: 3.5
PASS RUSH: 3.0
MOTOR: 3.5