Mike Mayock: Georgia Tech WR Thomas headed to Falcons
D. Orlando Ledbetter posing after doing a segment on the NFL Network. (Photo by Brian Cearns)
BIRDLAND – Georgia Tech wide receiver Demaryius Thomas is one of the hard luck stories of the 2010 draft.
He can’t workout for teams because he suffered a broken foot while running in the three-cone drill in February. He had a screw surgically implanted in the foot to help it heal.
Last season, Texas Tech wide receiver Michael Crabtree suffered a stress fracture and was not able to workout at the NFL scouting combine. He went to the San Francisco 49ers with the 10th pick of the draft.
Thomas needed a good showing at the combine to solidify his first round status. Now, he might not get a chance to show off his speed and pass catching ability before the NFL draft, which will be held April 22 to 24.
The NFL Network's Mike Mayock.
The question on Thomas is whether if he can run an NFL route tree. At Tech, he ran a bunch of streaks. There’s not a lot of game tape of him coming out of breaks, running crossing routes, or other NFL style pass routes.
There is a wildcard at play with Thomas.
Georgia Tech coach Paul Johnson and Falcons coach Mike Smith are best buds back from their college coaching days when they were recruiting metro Atlanta. If there is any question about Thomas’ route running ability, Smith already has the answer.
Perhaps, there is some Georgia Tech film that finds its way to Flowery Branch and points beyond that shows Thomas running every route imaginable.
The NFL Network is running its Path to the Draft show and the Falcons were up on Friday. We talked
Bucky Brooks back in his Green Bay days.
about Missouri linebacker Sean Weatherspoon, Michigan defensive end Brandon Graham and Florida center Maurkice Pouncey.
Then Mike Mayock and Bucky Brooks came on.
Mayock thinks the Falcons should take Thomas. Brooks said they should take South Florida defensive end Jason Pierre Paul.
We know where most of the fan base is with regards to Weatherspoon, Graham and Pouncey.
But what about Thomas? Could Thomas really be traveling just up the highway to Flowery Branch? What about Pierre-Paul?
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235 comments Add your comment
travis
March 29th, 2010
10:12 am
d led i seen you on the nfl network last thursday cool guy i like mike mayock he made me a believer about matt ryan he said matt had peyton manning tendency when we was about to draft hi.. Thomas bring big play ability comparison of brandon marshall type i can live with that pick matt ryan and that offesnse will be hell d led what you think about that pick
Mike
March 29th, 2010
10:14 am
If we go Pouncey in the 1st, I would imagine we would then trade back up into the late 1st round or early 2nd to get another guy high on our board. I just don’t see us going offense the first day and then waiting till 3rd to pick defense.
Andre
March 29th, 2010
10:19 am
Who is this Bucky Brooks ? How did he become an expert. He was a return man at best in the league . He has no credentials when it comes to evaluating talent.
Can't risk it
March 29th, 2010
10:22 am
The Falcons can’t use it’s first round pick on Thomas. He is too much of an unknown commodity and no one is going to see him workout before the draft. This is a MUCH different situation than Crabtree last year. With Crabtree, you knew you were getting an elite WR who could run all of the routes and catch everything. With Thomas, you are getting a tall, fast, WR who was only asked to run the go route in college. Far too much of a risk for pick 19.
The Falcons need to address DE and/or LB with this pick. If the talent isn’t there at 19, they need to take one of the top OLs that likely dropped because of a run on DE/LB. The only offensive player that should be considered is Spiller, who will be long gone before 19.
Also, there’s no chance that the Falcons take the DE from USF. He’s Mark Anderson 2.0.
BurningRedBleedingBlack
March 29th, 2010
10:24 am
Draft a defensive player then look for a solid wr later we have 8 picks. So there should be a nice WR later in draft.
Ree Roe
March 29th, 2010
10:24 am
No problem with BeBe, besides the fact he played at Tech. If our defensive needs can’t be met at #19, I say get him. Drafting BeBe would make a TON more sense than drafting a backup center at #19….
-REEmember Roe!!!
chris
March 29th, 2010
10:25 am
Trade Michael Jenkins for a 3rd pick. Than trade the first round pick to the Rams for there 2nd pick and 3rd pick. Then we pick Demaryius Thomas
Ramblin Wrecker
March 29th, 2010
10:26 am
As much as I’d love to see Thomas in Atlanta and that I think he could improve the WR corp, the Falcons have to take a DE or OLB. HAVE TO. They had zero pass rush and need playmakers at LB. Those first few games Mike Peterson was all over the place making plays, making it easier to have parted with Brooking. But he faded and so did the defense. They need to bolster either the pass rush or their playmaking.
chris
March 29th, 2010
10:29 am
Trade Jamaal Anderson and the 2011 first round pick and 2010 3rd round pick to the Giants for Osi Omenyiora and 2010 2nd round pick
chris
March 29th, 2010
10:30 am
Osi Omenyiora
RambleOn84
March 29th, 2010
10:32 am
We wouldn’t get a 3rd rounder for Jenkins…we’d be lucky to get a 6th rounder for him. He is average at best.
jasont13
March 29th, 2010
10:32 am
There is absolutely no reason to take a WR in the 1st round. They need help defensively.
RambleOn84
March 29th, 2010
10:37 am
Again, I point out that Roddy White, our only PROVEN receiver, is 29 this year. And Harry Douglas, though I like him, is no guarantee to be healthy or effective. Outside of that, you’ve got Michael Jenkins, who is AVERAGE AT BEST…then you’ve got Weems, Finneran, and Bergeron…
How can you say we don’t need a wide receiver? Again, the Saints proved you can win a Superbowl with an average defense…
chris
March 29th, 2010
10:37 am
Demaryius Thomas, Jimmy Graham, Riley Cooper, Matt Tennant, Rennie Curran, Jeff Owens, Mryon Lewis all need to be Falcons
jasont13
March 29th, 2010
10:38 am
With out a 2nd round pick, you need to address a position or positions that need an upgrade. Falcon’s need a good DE, DT or OLB not a WR. There will be plenty later in the draft, I just don’t see using a 1st round pick on somone who is kind of a unknown and is hurt.
chris
March 29th, 2010
10:41 am
A team will trade a 3rd round pick for Michael Jenkins
chris
March 29th, 2010
10:43 am
Will I just don’t see us taking a Center in the first round
chris
March 29th, 2010
10:45 am
The Giant will trade Osi Omenyiora and there 2nd round pick to the Faclons for Jamaal Anderson and the 2011 first round pick and 2010 3rd round pick
RambleOn84
March 29th, 2010
10:48 am
No one will give us a 3rd rounder for Jenkins…if we find someone foolish enough to do so, Dimitroff would pull the trigger in a heartbeat. Umenyiora is not what we need. Biermann and Sidbury are our DEs of the future.
screg
March 29th, 2010
10:50 am
if weatherspoon is gone at 19, we should trade jenkins and the 1st to denver for marshall.
RambleOn84
March 29th, 2010
10:53 am
Dude, why would we want Marshall? The guy is a headcase. Also, Thomas is similar physically without all the off-field baggage. And again, we have NO DEPTH at the receiver position. If we traded Jenkins and got back Marshall, we’d still have no depth, but we’d trade an average receiver for a better one who happens to be a headcase. Not gonna happen.
chris
March 29th, 2010
10:55 am
Demaryius Thomas, Jimmy Graham, Riley Cooper, Matt Tennant, Rennie Curran, Jeff Owens, Mryon Lewis. Trade out of the first round to the rams for there 2 and 3 pick then we can take Thomas than trade Jamaal Anderson and the 2011 first round pick and 2010 3rd round pick to the Giants for Osi Omenyiora and 2010 2nd round pick. Than we have two 2nd round pick with that we can take Jimmy Graham. Than in round 3 we can trade Michael Jenkins and a six pick to for a 3rd round pick. Than we will have 3 picks in the 3rd round than we can pick Riley Cooper, Matt Tennant, Rennie Curran in the 3rd round than round 4 pick Jeff Owens and round 5 pick Mryon Lewis and that is all we have to do. Go Falcons
chris
March 29th, 2010
10:57 am
Umenyiora is what we need
RambleOn84
March 29th, 2010
10:57 am
I like that last suggestion, chris…but there are probably too many moving parts for all of that to work.
I think Jimmy Graham is gonna be a stud.
JMF
March 29th, 2010
11:00 am
I do not know if he will still be around in the 3rd round but if he is Dickerson from Pittsburg would be a better pick than Thomas. He is big, with excellent hands, fast (4.0 at the combine) and a great blocker. Although he is listed as a tight end with his speed the could be the wide receiver we want.
Seattle Falcons Fan
March 29th, 2010
11:00 am
A- I think D is a bigger need at this point
B- THE FALCONS NEED TO LEARN THEIR LESSON AND STAY AWAY FROM INJURED PLAYERS!!!!! The last thing we need is another draft pick that can’t stay healthy, sitting on the bench!
JMF
March 29th, 2010
11:04 am
By the way Jimmy Graham would be an excellent pick with our second 3rd round pick.
RambleOn84
March 29th, 2010
11:04 am
What did Dickerson ever do on the field? Nothing but under-achieve…he is a workout warrior, don’t be fooled. He wouldn’t be a bad pick in the 6th
Prof. G
March 29th, 2010
11:13 am
The word “workout” is a noun. It’s a thing people do. When a person goes to do it, he or she is going to work out. It’s like back up and back up or lookout and look out. This is lazy writing, sir.
Blue Max
March 29th, 2010
11:16 am
Pouncey, has a mean streak and would play well at Center or either Guard + he is a solid citizen and has played at a high level. If I was going defense, I like the other USF end Selvey instead of Paul. Paul was really only a star for 1 season and Selvey has been good for 4 years.
RambleOn84
March 29th, 2010
11:24 am
Prof. G,
“Workout warrior” is a widely-used expression, and not grammatically incorrect either…even if you were right, correcting minor grammatical “mistakes” on a sports blog is quite obnoxious. So, in conclusion, fine sir, get bent.
Hamad Meander
March 29th, 2010
11:40 am
I’ve got no problem with the Falcons using their second third round pick on a WR, but Demaryius isn’t the 19th best player in this draft. I prefer Weatherspoon because I feel the Falcons will stay in the 4-3 defense and his skill set fits it perfectly. If Weatherspoon is gone @ 19, then we can take Graham or trade down. This is a deep draft, so we don’t need to panic if we don’t get a particular guy at 19.
If the Falcons are truly going to pursue Alex Brown (DE), then it makes no sense to draft another end.
Dawgforlife
March 29th, 2010
11:46 am
Thomas has a NFL body…yes, he did drop a pass in crunch time against UGA and I am glad he did; however, he also took a little hitch pass 75 yards. I want the defensive players if they are there. But, if the choice is between Thomas and a center…you absoltely cannot pass up Thomas…you can say Thomas drops passes and be accurate. But, so does Jenkins, and when is the last time he took a hitch 75 yards?…Pop Warner?
RambleOn84
March 29th, 2010
11:48 am
Thank you, Dawgforlife…Thomas has a much higher ceiling than most of these other guys we’re discussing…and Ryan could use another weapon.
silky_slimm
March 29th, 2010
11:50 am
dimtroff is a good evualtor im sure he will trade back in the second round to pick up a defense player if he goes with thomas whom compared to brandon marshall and roddy on the other end with gonzo in the middle i say pull the trigger on thomas he will trade back into second round and get jerry huges who they workout last week
3rd & long
March 29th, 2010
11:51 am
hey led how about some vital’s, on the lad??!!
RambleOn84
March 29th, 2010
11:55 am
Thomas is 6′3″, 225. Very strong and a good blocker. Very good vertical. Apparently ran a 4.38 at Tech right before draft, but I’m not sure he’s quite that fast. He makes some great catches in traffic, but also tends to drop some easy ones. He is a good runner after the catch.
Paddy
March 29th, 2010
12:09 pm
Thomas is an interesting choice if our defensive players ahead of him are off the board. Taking a center with the #1 pick is unwise at best.
cdog
March 29th, 2010
12:14 pm
NO, GO DEFENSE FIRST YOU CAN GET A WR IN THE THIRD ROUND LIKE A JACOBY FORD
D. Orlando Ledbetter
March 29th, 2010
12:23 pm
3rd & Long: Some vitals per your request.
HT: 6-3 1/4 WT: 224. Runs a 4.5 40-yard dash. Was clocked at 4.38 while in training in Arizona before breaking his foot.
Arms: 33 inches
Hands: 10 1/2
Ran track and played hoops in high school.
Outstanding blend of size and speed.
NEGATIVES ACCORDING TO PRO FOOTBALL WEEKLY’S 2010 DRAFT PREVIEW — Inconsistent hands and concentration. Drops too many balls. Played in a run oriented offense and was not asked to execute a full route tree. . . . takes long strides and runs upright.
RGO67
March 29th, 2010
12:27 pm
We did not have a problem scoring, we had a problem of stopping the opposing teams. We need to build the Defense with Playmakers.
Rev Blake
March 29th, 2010
12:28 pm
Agree with Paddy’s statement. Personally, I see the Falcons attempting to trade up (if necessary) in order to get the best DE that fits their scheme. DE has to be the primary need (Sidbury, et all, are solid back-ups, not starters) and we need a game-changer at this position– now.
On another note, I hope RB Anthony Dixon from MS State is still on the board for the Falcons’ later picks. He is fast and strong up the middle. He played for a bad team, so he has gone virtually unnoticed.
chris taylor
March 29th, 2010
12:28 pm
How bout Carlton Mitchel later in the draft, seems to be a decent mid rounder if they do their homework on him. Hard to spend a first on Thomas when we cant work him out, Jamal Anderson had all the strength, size, speed stats too & look at him now.
JSS
March 29th, 2010
12:30 pm
Only one question, who is supposedly going to get the ball down the field to him (Thomas)? Maybe they imagine him going 75 yards every time because he won’t being over the top with “Intermediate Route King” under center… I love the kid, but I don’t see him getting the ball where he excels. Kinda like putting a Ducati with a Vespa, it just not a good match. Power, speed, and performance linked with a fashionable shell that is nothing than reliable transportation…
Look at Ledbetter wearing a “big boy” tie, ha ha…
JohnD
March 29th, 2010
12:33 pm
Dled..
Given the measurables on Thomas, what are the chances a team (Falcons) looks at D-Thomas as a tight end in the Kellen Winslow Jr. mode? We all know that the wide receivers are asked to block very heavily at Tech and my recollection is he grades as a great blocker. It seems that putting Thomas at the end of a line to seal a linebacker – who would then need to handle him going over the middle – might make for a real nice combination. That would also seem to alleviate the concern about his limited route running.
Maybe the Falcons view him as heir apparent to Tony G if he can add 10lbs?
Craig
March 29th, 2010
12:35 pm
This pick would have to many downsides and not enough upside. We need DE or OLB, not another inconsistent receiver.
We_Run_This_Country
March 29th, 2010
12:36 pm
If you’ve ever watched GT football, you’d understand what Thomas has to offer. I’ve watched the last two years, and I can only remember a handful of passes that Thomas has dropped. I’ve seen him make catches above receivers, with receivers blanketing him, and route-adjusting catches as well. I think he will run a legit 4.4 40-yd…he was NEVER caught from behind…NEVER. He has the best stiff arm in college football for a WR…see the Miss St game. All of that should justify him being a 1st rounder…….
but then, you add the fact that he can block better than any WR ever coming out of college football and you KNOW he’s a 1st rounder. Thomas’ blocking skills make Hines Ward look like a nancy-boy.
Thomas will be gone before the Falcons get a chance to draft him…unless they trade up for him.
D. Orlando Ledbetter
March 29th, 2010
12:38 pm
Andre: Bucky is a good guy. He played for five years in the National Football League. He played for the Tar Heels in college. He’s been doing a great job for NFL.come and the network. He was a defensive back.
Bucky’s career:
* Buffalo Bills (1994)
* Green Bay Packers (1995-1996), (1997)
* Jacksonville Jaguars (1996-1997)
* Kansas City Chiefs (1997-1998)
* Oakland Raiders (1998)
Marcus
March 29th, 2010
12:39 pm
I raised my eyebrows on both Bucky and Mayocks projected choices (Pierre-Paul and D. Thomas, respectively)…which were both contingencies if Graham and/or ‘Spoon were snatched ahead of our pick.
I couldn’t see TD and Smitty picking D. Thomas or Pierre-Paul on a straight-up basis @ 19. Only if all the guys we like are gone …………then we may still have the option of trading down vs. taking a guy that may not be the best fit or a reach.
Marcus
March 29th, 2010
12:40 pm
John D,
Wouldn’t D. Thomas have to gain about 30-30 lbs. to be a suitable everydown converted TE?