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
30-24 Dawgs - WE RUN THIS STATE!
March 29th, 2010
5:08 pm
I still remember when Bay-Bay dropped that critical 4th down pass en route to a 30-24 loss to UGA.
One shining moment, and he failed.
kurula
March 29th, 2010
5:12 pm
i DON’T think he’ll be great, that should have said…
WW
March 29th, 2010
5:17 pm
I have to agree. I question whether this guy is first day draft material. He is not first or third round material, and the Falcons need to use their 4th round pick on a kicker, to get to the playoffs. If he is available in the 5th round, then pull the trigger, but our current receivers catch better than this guy.
realbirdofprey
March 29th, 2010
5:27 pm
i think we should trade the first round pick i mean their will be a lot of teams fighting for those 2nd tier Quarterbacks and around where we pick is usually where it happens because i think thomas is a 2nd rounder so if the rams don’t take a QB i say trade with them
Huh?
March 29th, 2010
5:28 pm
If the Falcons are gonna draft any Tech player it needs to be Morgan Burnette. The Falcons need defensive backfeild help, and I think Morgan would like to stay where he grew up. Plus last time I checked MB didn’t choke in the Tech-Georgia game.
FalconHeroZero
March 29th, 2010
5:29 pm
****Smoke*****
Tweets that mention Mike Mayock: Georgia Tech WR Thomas headed to Falcons | Atlanta Falcons -- Topsy.com
March 29th, 2010
5:30 pm
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by John H. Pruett, Jr.. John H. Pruett, Jr. said: Mike Mayock: Georgia Tech WR Thomas headed to Falcons http://shar.es/mpPB4 #nfldraft #jackets [...]
layne
March 29th, 2010
5:31 pm
WE should draft Sean Weatherspoon, Jared Veldheer, Dennis Pitta, Scott Long, Joique Bell,
Stephen Williams, and Mike McLaughlin. These are great picks look at their combine results.
ryan
March 29th, 2010
5:32 pm
Here is an idea why don’t the Falcons trade for Marshal and trade him Seatle Seahawks and then swap picks then they would leap frog over the Giants and Titans. And can get Spoon or Morgan.
layne
March 29th, 2010
5:43 pm
There’s alot of depth at WR and RB
layne
March 29th, 2010
5:43 pm
in the draft
billcanoe
March 29th, 2010
5:48 pm
dawgforlife – you couldn’t have said it better. D. Thomas is a stud and would be a great 1st round pick for the Falcons.
reddjonn68
March 29th, 2010
5:49 pm
Great call perfect fit youth and depth at wr. How long do our fans expect White & Jenkins 2 be around ?marks still remain on Douglas’s return. Name our 4th and 5th wrs off the top of your head and the amt of catches they tallied. 2 often people talk about what a team needs and pass on quality football players & are still trying 2 fill the same spot 3 or 4 years later. Right now in this pass happy league there is no two dominant DEs on any team, all of the top defensive teams are scheme oriented. You can never ever have enough bonafide playmakers. Cribbs kept sorry Cleveland in a lot games. Look at Baltimore in a couple of yrs that defense is going 2 have 2 be revamped.Technique can be taught, talent cannot
mystikal
March 29th, 2010
5:54 pm
I’ve already said Thomas is not worth taking @ 19, and still think that. I do wonder though with his shortcomings, how would Thomas look if he had a “Good” quarterback throwing to him?? Think about that for a minute.
Also I agree Paul Pierre is raw and inexperienced, but if you haven’t seen it google “Jason Paul-Pierre back flip” just for fun.
mystikal
March 29th, 2010
6:04 pm
And I’m already on record saying we shouldn’t take Thomas @ 19, cause we have bigger needs on D, but why is everyone hating on him? I saw him play this year and he had some dropped passes, but ppl seem to be ignoring all the big plays he “did” make. I remember on a couple of occasions he came down with impossible catches with 2 or 3 defenders draped around him. He may not be the best pick for us, but he is a 1st rd pick.
ISeeDeadDogs
March 29th, 2010
6:05 pm
The Falcons absolutely need a top-notch WR and I think Thomas would certainly fill that rather large niche. Jenkins is at best a #2 or maybe even auxillary receiver and Douglas is unproven after his injury. Giving Ryan another target/weapon would be a tremendous move. I think they will go defensive with their pick, however, as that is the more obvious need. It should be said that Blank doesn’t have a very high opinion of Tech talent, either.
FullMetalJacket
March 29th, 2010
6:08 pm
As a Tech fan I would love to see BeyBey stay in Atlanta, and as Falcons fan I do believe he would make a great contribution. Ryan has Gonzales as a sure-handed target and Thomas would be the mid to deep threat that Jenkins and Douglas haven’t proven to be. That said, it’s hard to pass up a pass-rusher or D-line anchor if one is available.
FullMetalJacket
March 29th, 2010
6:09 pm
Montana had his Rice, now Ryan needs his BeyBey!
Please 'splain
March 29th, 2010
6:23 pm
why jamaal is so bad
BirdsOverSaints
March 29th, 2010
6:30 pm
There is no question the Falcons need to find another receiver for “Franchise” Ryan. Finneran is a good possession man, Gonzales is the “go to” guy at TE, but then you have “Juggling” Jenkins and Douglas, who is ocming off an injury. We have no true Number 1 receiver, even though we presumably have one of the best QBs in the league. Take Thomas in the first round if he’s available, then spend every other pick on the Defense. If our Defense were magically great this year we still lack the Offensive punch at receiver to score points and make big plays. It will take the Defense and Thomas another year or maybe two to mature, so it would be a great move now.
BirdsOverSaints
March 29th, 2010
6:31 pm
Jamaal has dem heart problems. He ain’t got no heart for the game and he’s got all dat money to keep him from growing one.
BirdsOverSaints
March 29th, 2010
6:33 pm
We need to be looking at some big running backs, either to draft or trade for, too. Turner is the only dependable one we got, and there’s no way he can play every down we need him to.
BirdsOverSaints
March 29th, 2010
6:39 pm
Delusional UGA Bulldog fans who haven’t seen Thomas play apart from the Tech game have no idea what he can do. IN addition to his physical attributes the man has the heart of a lion and a work ethic Jerry Rice would be proud of. He will be great for someone, and could be great for the Falcons. I’m not sure when he’ll go (late 1st round-early 2nd?) but it really amounts to which D-men are available at 19. If we can’t get a Derrick Morgan (early – mid 1st round) then getting a partner for Ryan to build a career with would be a good idea.
BirdsOverSaints
March 29th, 2010
6:41 pm
Tony G will be out of here in a year or two, as will Finneran, and Ryan will need somebody at WR or TE to take up that considerable slack. Mike Smith should know Thomas well, at least better than other college WR, so if he likes him he should get him.
BirdsOverSaints
March 29th, 2010
6:42 pm
Calvin Johnson would have been a nice acquisition, too, but he wasn’t available when our turn came around. I think we’ll be settling for some much needed D-help.
FullMetalJacket
March 29th, 2010
6:44 pm
Defense is overall priority one, but we need a good WR and solid receiving RB.
FullMetalJacket
March 29th, 2010
6:45 pm
Jenkins is a very leaky vessel to put much offensive hope in, and Douglas is exciting but an unknown after his injury as a daily player.
BlackeyedRedDawg
March 29th, 2010
6:51 pm
Thomas is a stud and will be a great addition to any pro team. It pains me to say it, but he’s got it all over AJ. Folks forget how his touches were limited by the offense, but he made some great catches and blocks with the best of them. He missed a clutch catch vs. UGA (thank goodness) and it ain’t easy to praise the Bees, but between Calvin J. and Thomas they have turned out a couple of top tier receivers.
BlackeyedRedDawg
March 29th, 2010
6:54 pm
Anyone, fellow Dawg fan or not, who says Thomas can’t block downfield has not watched him or is being dishonest. It’s true we may not have seen enough of him because of the Option offense, but the guy is big, plenty fast at game time, has good hands, and can bully d-backs. I think the birds need more defense than offense, but BBT is solid.
Dawggonegood
March 29th, 2010
6:55 pm
I think AJ Green will be better than Thomas by the end of this season, but right now I would have to agree that Thomas is a beast while Green is a bit more squirrely.
Dawggonegood
March 29th, 2010
6:56 pm
Right now, straight up, Thomas beats Green in the pros.
Dawggonegood
March 29th, 2010
6:56 pm
But right now, straight up, the Dawgs also beat the Jackets.
FullMetalJacket
March 29th, 2010
6:57 pm
Right Now, straight up? I didn’t know UGA had any straight guys.
BirdsOverSaints
March 29th, 2010
7:01 pm
Jean P-P would be a monumental mistake, in the mold of Jamaal Anderson, the oldest rookie in the league.
BirdsOverSaints
March 29th, 2010
7:02 pm
Jamaal must be a medical wonder. He clearly has no heart and yet still he lives!!!! He eats, maybe smokes a little, and can run around in a uniform, but he clearly has no heart to play football, much less defense.
ashman71
March 29th, 2010
7:13 pm
Who are the best available kickers?
Keyshawn My Johnson
March 29th, 2010
7:15 pm
Bey Bey in the 1st round? COME ON, MAN!
Love the guy and he will do well for the right team. Low second or third round pick would be excellent.
Birrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrd Man
March 29th, 2010
7:15 pm
There’s No Way Thomas will be a Falcon–unless it’s in the 3rd round.
I c great things ahead
March 29th, 2010
7:34 pm
Man I for one would love too see us take him. I’m so tired of the best area players going to other teams having monter contribution for teams not named FALCON. Now about JPP I don’t know about the rest of you but, while I watch his back flipping I couldn’t stop. I flip all the way back until I saw another freak of nature, can you say Andre Bruce man it was bad. lol Like most everyone I wouldn’t be hurt if the pick was Spoon or Graham and I would love it if we could move up and get D. Morgan. But I don’t see TD and MS making such a move as that they’ll standpat. Yes I do agree that we could get a quality wide out later in the draft, but why should we settle for whats left when this guy with these measurable, and this athletic. Some of you say he has inconsistent hands but are you really willing to let a BONAFIDE supperstar in waiting slip down to say I don’t know the Patriots. think about that R.Moss has been running off at the mouth and stuff the hold off season and he’s getting old. think about it they can pull the drigger on him and with all those extra 2s the could still get anything else they want. Talk about the rich being rich or was that richer I don’t know I’ve never been eather. but that’s the way I see it and that’s the way it might be. PSP NOooooo Pouncey with 1st rd pick..lol
Mike Jay
March 29th, 2010
7:52 pm
BOS,
Err… humm..
Let’s see here. You say we have no #1 WR. I believe Roddy white is a top 10 #1 WR. His stats back this up.
You say Ryan is one of the best Qb’s in the league. ‘presumably’. Not sure who has made the presumption but he is at least one of the best young Qb’s in the league. I hope he is one day but he certainly not there yet. Future does look bright.
You say we have no dependable RB beside Turner….Hmm. Did you watch the Falcons last season? Jason Snelling played great when Turner was finally shelved with that bad ankle.
142 rushes 613 yards 4.3 ypc 4 TD. He even caught 30 passes 1 for a TD. That’s pretty damn dependable in my book. In the last game of the season he carried it over 20 tiems for the first time. yo cold say the Falcons ‘depended’ on him that game and he delivered. 25 carries 147 yards 5.9 ypc with 3 catches for 21 yards.
D3
March 29th, 2010
8:05 pm
DOL – Just saw the NFL N video….great job my brother! Just seems to be focusing on Spoon or Graham. Will be completely happy with both, after that there’s many different directions they could go, but not necessarily for the better. Safest would be to trade down and pick up multiple players. I know it probably won’t happen due to the risk, but Taylor Mays potential conversion to a WLB seemingly would be a perfect fit. It would be a big risk, but the upside and potential would be amazing. The transition worked pretty well for Thomas Davis and Carolina. Would love to have D.Thomas, but not sure he’s worth the value @ #19. Trading back to say #29, then sure. Going on pure production, I would have to take Golden Tate over D.Thomas.
hiramsaint
March 29th, 2010
8:16 pm
birdsoversaints— thanks for the love and respect
Not Disappointed!
March 29th, 2010
8:31 pm
Thomas is a beast and will help the falcons on all levels, running, catching and blocking!
Ramblin Wreck!
Delbert D.
March 29th, 2010
8:34 pm
Somebody said Jenkins is mediocre. I’d say in the top 40 percent. He is also a good blocker. D. Thomas is a wipeout blocker. Really good speed at 230+ lbs.
PavoDirtyByrd
March 29th, 2010
9:14 pm
I am glad we have a GM in charge with a better sense of the team directions than many of the so-called draft experts. We need a pass rusher, not a WR!
falcon21
March 29th, 2010
9:25 pm
We need to improve the O-Line period… A WR at #1, what a joke.
Mookie
March 29th, 2010
9:30 pm
My mock draft
1) Spoon LB
3) P. Cox CB
3) G. Hardy DE
4) M. Tennent C
5) E. Sanders WR
5) A. Woods DT
6) C. Black OG/OT
6) N. Naynam TE
7) T. Holiday KR
falcon21
March 29th, 2010
9:48 pm
It’s not a bad mock Mookie but I don’t see us going with a CB with our second pick. I know most fans choice is Spoon at #1 but don’t hold your breath.
Ken Strickland
March 29th, 2010
10:28 pm
Has anyone read a scouting report of GaTech WR DThomas? There’s nothing written about his ability to run routes, read DEF’s, read zone DEF’s, or how he runs after the catch. It only says he has deceptive speed for his size, will go up and fight for the ball and only ran streak or fly patterns in college. That means he’s only demonstrated the ability to run one pattern, which means he didn’t have to read a single DEF or contend with being hit by LB’s or SS’s because he didn’t go over the middle or run slant patterns.
How in the hell is this guy going to help us? He first has to learn how to be more than a one trick poney, not to mention he’s coming off a broken foot. How can anyone in his right mind think someone with his limited resume and undocumented skill level be a better option than MJenkins or HDouglas?
Old Man
March 29th, 2010
10:29 pm
In the draft point system, our #19 is worth almost exactly NE’s #44 and #47 in the 2nd round.
Interesting. Would anyone here make that swap? And who would you grab with those two picks?