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Falcons picks BTW

1 - DE Ryan Kerrigan
2 - TE Kyle Rudolph
3 - WR Cecil Shorts

Nice to see your 3 round mock Pudge. I'd be surprised if Kerrigan drops to Atlanta pick 27 but if he were available I'd take him. Rudolph available late rd 2 I'd be shocked but if he was another no brainer. Shorts, I was unaware of him until you brought him up. Sounds like he'll have more speed than a Austin Pettis who I like also. I'm guessing either Pettis was already taken thus the selection of Shorts or Shorts indeed could be a Garcon type to add speed and YAC to the offense.

Overall if the Falcon's have these 3 players I'd be happy.

Nope, didn't have Pettis taken in the 3 round mock. If/when he runs a slow 40 (like 4.58-4.62), it'll probably knock him to the 4th round.

After reading up on Shorts I'd certainly take a shot at him in the 3rd. Your right Pettis is slower and we really need an above average speed receiver. I can't complain about that mock it would make my day. We would really have to hope that both Kerrigan and Rudolph drop though but stranger things have happened. I don't see many team needing a tight end and maybe kerrigan drops a bit because he isn't the greatest athlete.

I disagree about Pettis. I think he fits very well in Atlanta. The problem is the perception that everything has to be geared towards speed. Pettis is not going to make the Falcons offense anymore explosive. But he would be a very good addition to the Falcons offense. If the Falcons were to draft him the 3rd/4th round in conjunction with another explosive receiver like a Cecil Shorts, Aldrick Robinson, Denarius Moore, Ronald Johnson, etc. they would have fixed their WR position for probably the next 10 years.

The misconception out there is this notion of 1 player that is going to fix all or most of the Falcons problems. There isn't a player out there like that. The closest players to that are probably Julio Jones or Torrey Smith, but I don't expect either of them to be available when the Falcons unless they trade up.

I talked about it before with Kerry Meier, but Pettis is in fact one of those guys that can run a 4.6 or 4.65 40, but has the skillset to overcome that at the pro level.

The unfortunate mistake I'm betting the Falcons will make this spring is they'll start to get tunnel vision as far as some prospects go. And every RB or WR that doesn't run a 4.51 or faster is not going to be one of their targets in the first 3 rounds of the draft. And that'll be a mistake because it will prevent them from drafting good players like Pettis.

OK Pudge I can go that route also a slower receiver than Shorts or some others but pure football player making clutch catches. I can't quite remember maybe on another board but I don't think Welker ran a great 40 either and look at him. Remember Ricky Proehl not fast but just got the job done. Now if you can get a receiver with speed and smarts you have something more. I wouldn't mind 2 receivers from this draft to sure up any doubts we have plus it is a good receiver crop.

Yes, I would be disappointed in not drafting Smith but if we got Kerrigan instead I'll make that tradeoff. I take it you think Titus Young won't be a full time player.Hypothetical for you if Kerrigan and Smith are off the board do you take Young at 27? Do you think young is much superior to Shorts or are they close in overall ability? How is it that D Jackson can be a full time receiver at his weight and why not Young? I think we need one player who can burn a defense and go all the way with every touch. Pair him with another receiver like Shorts, Pettis I would be happy. I doubt the Falcon's draft 2 receivers unless the final one is in the lower rounds.
I would take the value though because playmakers no matter the position get it done and I really have some doubts Douglas will be a go to guy in the future.

Oh well I'm sure will see some players go up and down on draft boards after the Indy combine. I predict Smith to probably go top 20's if he works out great. Rudolph I haven't read he will be participating or even on Notre Dame's pro day. Give me 2 playmakers from this draft.

Nice mock, though I hope there's a slightly better option than Shorts at 3.

I fully agree with you about the tunnel vision. I've written several times that Sydney Rice, Plaxico Burress, and many players like them are considered explosive, and ran 4.5 to 4.6 forties. Burress was always a big play threat because he'd go get the ball. If we have an opportunity to get a guy like that, we need one. As you said, we need one of each.

That guy who will take a 5 yarder and go 30, but also that guy who can go up for the ball (a la Burress or V Jax) and you can be confident throwing the deep ball to.

I actually think with Ryan's lack of deep ball skills, a Burress type is way more important than a Desean Jackson type. He needs a guy who will bail him out on the deep ball until he gets it down pat.

A guy who gets a step, but doesn't come back and fight for the ball is only very useful for very precise deep ball throwers.

I agree with this Takeitdown. But I think we already have that explosive YAC guy in Douglas that can take the 5-yarder and make it 30. Getting that game-breaker that is a threat to score on every play is A: Unrealistic since there are only a handful of guys like that in the league to begin with and B: Unnecessary for what the Falcons should want to do.

The Falcons had 32 20+ yard plays last year. The teams that were among the leaders in the league (Steelers, Chargers, etc.) had over 60. I think the goal for 2011 is let's get that number up to 42. Then in 2012, it should be 52. And then in 2013, it should be 62.

I think there is this desire for the Falcons to have a more spread attack like the Patriots or Packers, but I think the Falcons should gear themselves more to what the Chargers do. Which is have 3 or 4 tall receivers that have good, not great speed, but have ball skills, body control, and can make grabs in traffic, and able to get open relatively quickly (at least Gates, Jackson, and Floyd are), and they bunch them up and Rivers throws a lot of jump balls to them.

There were times this past year where we saw Douglas go out 3-5 yards and turn that little dumpoff into a 15-30 yard gain. We need to try and mix in more play calls like that. Maybe that gets us to 35. And if you draft a guy like Rudolph, maybe he can get you 5 20+ yard plays this year, and that gets you to 40. And maybe with Pettis on the roster, you can afford to give Roddy more opportunities to run deeper routes because you have another solid underneath receiver that can make those 7-10 yard grabs that help move the chains. And maybe that gets you to 42 or more. And anything that any other addition (like Shorts or whoever), or any improvements Jenkins or Gonzo make, or Meier is just gravy on top of that.

And then you build from there.

Again, agreed. I was just saying having both is obviously great. But the quick D Jackson types are really best for two types of passers
1) A scrambler, who can buy time, giving them time to get ridiculously open on double moves (Vick, Roethlisberger, etc.)
2) A precision passer, who can drop it in the bucket from 35 yards out when they have a 1/2 step (Manning, Brady, Brees.) To some extent, even though there were other factors, Peerless Price was an example of a guy who could get a 1/2 step and looked good with an accurate deep ball thrower, but couldn't come back and make a play on the ball.

Ryan is neither of those types, so I fully agree we need to go more the San Diego route. I'm actually glad you're pushing that, as everyone seems to think we need a 4.2, 170 lb guy, and I just don't think that fits Ryan's game, even if we were going to open it up (at least not as the deep guy.)

Where I differ from you is expectations. Ryan's rookie year we had a lot more 20+ yard plays, I believe. One of the primary reasons is he threw more deep balls to Roddy, and Roddy made a play on the ball. The WR always has the advantage in those situations. They were ugly balls, but it worked fine with a fighter like Roddy. I think if you have a Burress/V Jax on one side, and Roddy on the other, you can let Ryan give his receivers a chance to make plays, and the number goes up much more quickly than you say (especially given that the deep threats open up HD underneath, the TE, etc.)

Edit: After a quick look, Ryan had 45 20+ throws his rookie year. I think aiming for 50 starting now shouldn't be that odd (assuming a grab it WR, and a TE are acquired, ti pair with a hopefully healed HD).

Why not do this then have a mixture of speed and tall receivers? A tall tight end like Rudolph and receiver would give Ryan plenty of receivers to look for and pair roddy with a fast receiver who can score with one touch of the ball. Pudge, your putting all your eggs in one basket with Douglas going to recover 100% and be what we thought he was going to be his rookie yr. I like to have a security blanket in case he fails.

I think a receiver who can play both slot and 2nd receiver is needed that way in case Douglas comes back 100% you can use him and then put the rookie over at no2 receiver and share time with Jenkins. If Douglas doesn't come back like his rookie yr you have some protection.I'd still like an explosive receiver because the player can score or get more yardage than a slower receiver and sustain drives.I'd be surprised if 2 receivers were taken by the Falcon's. Why go with slow methodical drives that you have to play almost perfect football to score compared to one touch and 7 pts. Are we still protecting the defense again with TOP? Who would be worthy of the Falcon's no1 pick then if not a receiver granted if all the def ends are gone, weak linebacker crop,grimes and DRob starting and a rookie at corner used as nickel?. That leaves off line, tight end or running back if no receiver at 27. We aren't drafting running back at 27 so that leaves off line or tight end?

You're putting your eggs in one basket either way. We currently only have one receiver who will fight for the ball like a big receiver...Roddy.

We don't have a tall, go get it receiver. So, you have to prioritize. Optimally, you'd like a mix, but that really involves getting rid of Jenkins and Weems,(to bring in a tall guy and a fast guy) so that you can grab guys that actually fit roles. That's a tricky situation.

BTW, if the draft fell this way, and we already have a DE from FA, I'd love to be in that meaty second round. Somehow moving our 1st for 2 2nds, and getting Hankerson, Ryan Williams/Mikel Leshoure, and Kyle Rudolph all after 50 would be awesome.

Our offense would be upgraded quite a bit immediately, and we could still add a burner guy later, as well as OLB and OG.

Always envy those Patriots this time of year.

The fast receiver that can score with one touch is very rare. As I said before, there is only a handful of guys like that in the pros. Andre Johnson, DeSean Jackson, T.O. and Steve Smith in their primes. That's...about...it.


thescout, I don't know how much time you've spent scouting these prospects, how close attention you've paid to Harry Douglas these past two seasons, or how much you saw of his career at Louisville. But if you're like me, and you consider all that you've seen from HD from the past five years, then you don't have the pessimistic attitude that others have about him. He's a talented player. Probably 50% of the reason why he hasn't blossomed here yet is that he just hasn't played that well. Another 25% of it is my belief that the coaching staff haven't used him in a manner that gets the most out of his ability. And the other 25% probably stems from the knee injury. BUt all of those are fairly fixable issues. This isn't the first time a talented WR got off to a slow start in Atlanta. HD's main problem in terms of his performance IMHO is lack of concentration. Roddy White suffered from the same exact issue his first 2 years in the league. He turned out fine, because talent won out. As I think it will with HD.

As you said, ideally the player you want is a guy that is going to come in and immediately help out in the slot. Because regardless of any our opinions about Jenkins, the reality is he will be the starter in 2011. But drafting an undersized, speedy WR that is just a slot WR IMHO is more likely to lead to the same situation 2-3 years from now with Douglas. But that ideal player comes in, pushes Douglas in the slot, and then as he develops 1, 2, or 3 years down the road, he'll start to move outside to push/replace Jenkins. Again, IMO that player IS NOT Titus Young.

If the Falcons brass develop tunnel vision and start to overly focus on speed and explosive potential then IMO they are potentially making a bigger mistake than they would be if they drafted a slower guy that had little to no explosive potential.

Very well Pudge I'll have to remember your statements about Titus Young he can't be a no2 receiver. I do know that some players like doulgas can perform extremely well in college and the spread offense he played in at Louisville could have boosted his stats also. Enter the NFL where the its a faster league and some prospects don't pan out. I know the issues of not using Douglas properly, bad concentration,injury so I am not as hard on Douglas as I am on Jenkins. So if we take Young off the board because he can't play no2 receiver in the future and Smith is gone that really doesn't leave anyone I can get to excited about at receiver. Sure some thing Jonathan Baldwin could prosper in the NFL but I am more prone to think he won't have the work ethic and just coast his career.

Other than Kerrigan and Smith or someone dropping I can't get to excite about the prospects who may be on the board if they line up the way they are now. We know that won't happen and some will slide but worst case scenario if Kerrigan and all the other def ends are gone,Smith is gone,we pass on Young because he can't play 2nd receiver who do the Falcon's draft? I would like to trade down but not sure if we could get much for our 27th first rounder. If we traded down I would target Rudolph and not wait around and hope he is available with our 2nd rounder. Second round you can still find very good players and not have to pay the bigger money as 1st rounders.

The thought of Jenkins playing full time at receiver just makes me go nuts. Lets bring in some competition for the guy because he as had plenty of time to prove himself and just doesn't produce what we need. Well its up to TD to find our gem players and lets hope he brings them home because we need PLAYMAKERS if we are ever going to be elite whether this coming year or 2-3 yrs from now. Someone needs to play the Green Bay game back to TD and keep him on edge before the draft and show how far we need to go to the mountain top.

Titus Young could very well be a No. 2 WR in this league. If he goes to a team that has a similar offense as the Philadelphia Eagles or something. But I'm just saying IMHO, he's not going to be a No. 2 for us.

And I think you've probably developed tunnel vision as well as far as the Falcons 1st round picks go.

Martez Wilson and Akeem Ayers would make excellent 1st round picks because they have elite LB potential. Aaron Williams or Brandon Harris would be good cornerbacks. Gabe Carimi is the sort of run blocker that we need up front. Corey Liuget and Stephen Paea could be dominant DTs in our defense. Not to mention, Adrian Clayborn is a good consolation prize as far as DEs go.

Not to mention if players like Julio Jones, or Mark Ingram fall out of the Top 15 picks, then they are definitely worth going up to get.

Do you think Baldwin could be a Burress type player, Pudge? Haven't watched enough yet to have any idea of his body control.
On a similar note, what do you think of Hankerson...would he be a solid 2 who you could be comfortable will adjust and get the ball on intermediate to deep routes?

Well that makes me feel better having the grandmaster of the draft (Pudge) give me some other choices with our pick . Now I can relax and let the chips fall where they may.

I'm a Pitt alum, so I like Baldwin. But I'm not sure I like him as a Falcon. He has the tools and skills to be everything we want as far as the No. 2 guy. He's big, good body control, and ball skills, and has the long speed to really challenge downfield and make plays there.

But my beef with Baldwin is he mentally checked out this past year at Pitt. He didn't play hard, blamed coaching, blamed his QB, and just didn't play with a lot of effort and toughness. He's not a high character player. If he's engaged, could he be a very good NFL player? Yep. But my personal opinion is that I don't want that kind of player on my favorite pro team. I don't want a guy that is liable to go through the motions for whatever arbitrary reason he decides this week is why he isn't performing. We call Jenkins finesse, soft, not mentally tough, etc. but Baldwin is that player to another level. Not once have you heard Michael Jenkins complain about how he's used in the offense, or that he's not getting the ball enough. He may not have the fire to be a great NFL player, but he goes about his business every day.

Would I complain if the Falcons drafted him at no. 27? Nope, he definitely has the talent to merit that pick, if not higher. But I think with Baldwin is the potential for baggage, similar to that baggage that has followed guys like Randy Moss, Plaxico Buress, throughout their careers. And ultimately I think it'll mean he'll fail the Falcons Filter, and it's one instance where I would say "rightly so."

Right now, I like Hankerson if they don't like Baldwin's attitude. He goes up for the ball, but I'm not sure of his "value." I think he'd work pretty well in this system.

Check the scouting reports it gives info players and Pudge list how they would fit in with the Falcon's.

Good call. Somehow I'd missed those. I never notice the pinned things.