Falcons set to pick 27th in the NFL draft
Maybe the Falcons will pick Ironhead's little boy, Cameron Heyward (Whitfield Academy/Peachtree Ridge) in the NFL draft. (Associated Press)
FLOWERY BRANCH – With the Patriots, who were the No. 1 seed in the AFC, also losing in the divisional round, the Falcons moved up from the 28th spot to the 27th spot for the 2011 NFL Draft.
The Patriots selected Rutgers cornerback Devin McCourty with the 27th pick last season.
Some of the players who could be available at 27 include:
–Cameron Heyward, DE, Ohio State
–Gabe Carimi, OT, Wisconsin
–Brandon Burton, CB, Utah
–Aaron Williams, CB, Texas
–D. Orlando Ledbetter
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121 comments Add your comment
BOB
January 19th, 2011
1:13 am
The real challenge for the Falcon’s post season will be managing fan expectations. No one will want hear that the team bet the ranch on this year and will not have a better record because of strength of schedule,etc.
So the way to get ‘er done in 2011-12 is:
1.Trade for Albert Hanesworth. He is both a run stuffer(in the 4-3) as well as a pass rusher and can be had for a 3rd round pick/ Chauncy Davis.
2.Sign Nnamdi Asomugha. Expensive? Maybe but with players like Jamal Anderson and Chris Owens coming off the books the budget might not have to be busted for a real cover corner.
3.Use 1st round pick on Tony G’s replacement. Need a “new” Tony G: tall,fast and with great hands to give the offense a spark.
slobberknocker
January 19th, 2011
2:05 am
The Falcons need speed and theirs plenty of quality speed available in the later rounds. This is a must, bring in Noel Devine, 4.34, for some excitement out of the backfield and special teams help. Bye bye Injury Norwood. Draft Ed Gates, 4.43, to lineup with RW. Say goodbye to Harry Douglas. I love Tony’s hands, but hate is feet. Sign Schulyar Oordt, 4.59, or Virgil Green, 4.60. Markus White, DE, 4.69, is projected to last into the 5th rd. Lots of great speed options to choose from in rounds 4 – 7. Use the first 2 rounds to take an impact DE and CB. Pickup the best OG or OT in the third round. Maybe Steve Schilling, OG 5.14. And add a veteran free agent or two.
D man
January 19th, 2011
9:33 am
Compared to where we were three years ago, this is a fantastic team that will improve in the off season. I’m still excited. The hangover from Saturday night is starting to wear off. I’m looking forward to a pro bowl for the first time in many years. 7 of our Falcons, WOW!!!
Go Falcons!!!
BigTimeTECHFan
January 19th, 2011
10:13 am
Cut Lofton and draft that Tank dude from TCU
BigTimeTECHFan
January 19th, 2011
10:21 am
1. Tank Carder LB TCU
2. Nick Faily DT Auburn
3. Da’Quan Bowers DE Clem
4. Robert Quinn DE UNC
5. Prince Amukamara CB Neb
6. Julio Jones WR Bama
7. Patrick Peterson CB LSU
8. AJ Greene WR UGA
9. Adrian Clayborn DE Iowa
10. Marcell Dareus DT Bama
Jeff George
January 19th, 2011
11:11 am
Julio Jones won’t be around at #27. I agree with PCB Mike in that next season I believe that the team will continue their dominance. And guess what, I only see the team defense improving. The defense (for a majority) is young and expect big things from Biermann, Moore, Jerry, Weatherspoon, DeCoud, and Grimes next year!
realitycheck
January 19th, 2011
11:45 am
Jeff George…Continue their dominance? You must be watching something totally different than I am. This team might be looking at a 3rd place finish in the NFC South next season. Just about everything broke the Falcons way this season, and that’s highly unlikely to happen again. They wasted the best health in the league this year, just as Dallas did in 2009. Be an optimistic fan if you like, but that 13-3 record was nothing more than a mirage. The Saints were injured, Bucs were too young, and Panthers in major transition this season. The pathetic NFC West will be replaced by the NFC North on next season’s schedule. The Falcons are going to fall off next season and that decline could be substantial.
Ron "CHOKE" Mexico
January 20th, 2011
7:56 am
That kid, Ryan Kerrigan, DE from Purdue would be a good pick, if he is still available, if you are going to run a 4-3, then you have to get pressure from your d-line, or you are screwed. or the CB from Texas, I forget his name. first pick has got to be defense because that side of the ball has consistently been worse than the offense.
next I would draft a WR
everything depends on what they do in free agency,
Ron "CHOKE" Mexico
January 20th, 2011
7:58 am
No way would I bring haynesworth to this team.
Ed
January 20th, 2011
11:36 am
I totally agree with take it from me, the answer to the DE problems for the Falcons is Cameron Heyward, the guy is a flat out baller and gave offensive lines all kinds of problems this past year at Ohio State. Plus he’s the son of a legend.
RJ
January 20th, 2011
1:47 pm
People please, Matt Ryan does not have a weak arm. He has a tendency to sometimes put to much air under passes but that doesn’t necessarily mean he has a weak arm. He can throw it plenty hard enough to be successful in the NFL. He just made some poor decisions in the Green Bay game to overcompensate for our lack of D imo. Even if he had played a perfect game there is no way we would have won the game GB was a more talented team and this is still a team sport first QB sport second. We should be talking about how we can get better as a team. 3 Glaring issues were apparent to me in this game.
1. We need to get a better pass rush
2. We need to get more physical at the CB position
3. We need more speed on offense at both the RB & WR position
PhillyFalconsFan
January 20th, 2011
10:16 pm
A wideout with 4.49 speed won’t get the job done; we need sub 4.35. I’m sure Jerious Norwood won’t be here come September, but, just in case, couldn’t we all chip in and buy him a ball machine to learn how to catch while his knee heals? He’d be awesome in motion or in the slot and has 4.3 speed.
PhillyFalconsFan
January 20th, 2011
10:20 pm
RJ – and all you guys who say matt has a gun – Go to a game and watch him throw. He just doesn’t have elite QB velocity. You can see, hear and feel it better live. He could make up for the lack of strength with deep accuracy, but we haven’t seen that from him on a consistent basis.
Captain Kirk
January 21st, 2011
1:20 am
Outside Observer???
Matthews doesnt fit our scheme???? WTF scheme is that 3 man Pass rush no bump n run, 8 deep zone and we STILL get torched
seems to me that Matthews ability, not scheme, and his skill set were Pro Bowl bound from the moment he entered the draft..
Oh or Did Kevin Green coach him up…..? Greene..another local white boy turned LB beast the Falcons didny/couldnt/wouldnt draft out of Auburn in the late 80s, when those Falcon teams were also in the commode n drafted real high
scheme schmmeeeeeeem
CK
Captain Kirk
January 21st, 2011
1:36 am
As far as free agebcy is concerned,,I was lickin my chops after last season when Julius Peppers was available..but no…….. who do we get
Daunting “Dunta”..didja see him get beat at that corner route..which Packer WR left Daunting reachin for his jockstrap….
As for the O which I havent addressed because the defensive flaws were far more glaring IMO…Moss and Steve Smith..still both top 10 WR hafta be bettern Jenkins..and Finneran at 35 is prob near the end of the line but still performed well..Maybe he shouldve been more of a target than Jenkins..
Jenkins astounds me.. he makes the difficult catches most of the time, yet muffs the easy ones,, thats his history and it hasnt changed.. we’dve not won the ravens game if he hadnt first made that deep out on the play before Whites winnin TD..
but and here’s the BUT..when you’re 6-4, covered by a 5-11 DB and you fall down on an ill timed jump in the end zone and allow a pick….. that aint cuttin it..
Finneran makes those plays if hes on that route. at 35 and hes 8 yrs older than Jenkins and might have 1 more yr after comin back from 2 knee surgeries, and losin 2 full seasons of productivity, seasons that Jenkins played in….no wonder back at Villanova he was the Walter Payton award winner as THE BEST player in 1-AA in the NATION!!!!
and Jenkins resume at the OSU was what????….
If the falcons ever learn to evaluate talent properly,, ever recall Aundray Bruce?????? remember the corner they drafted in the aerly 80’s from Nebraska..which was in primarily a RUN conference at the time
Ive seen this s***t for nearly 40 yrs so much so that the I believe the Deon draft occurred when someone shuffled the wrong papers and got the wrong guy
Insanity is defined as doin the same thing over n over n expectin a different result
cwltank
January 21st, 2011
11:39 am
Yea Ryan arm is weak if you compare him to Cutler, Rogers, Manning, and a few others. Therefore, the Falcons offensive coordinator did n help by calling such simple plays. We need a speedy wide out. Norwood injury hurt us a little and the 2 backs we have are similar in and ability. Maybe we can trade a rb to move he up in the draft.
No hope now
January 21st, 2011
6:50 pm
Reality check is speaking some sort of truth. THE FALCONS NEED A BIG OFF-SEASON to keep fans attention and to be competitive. Vikings, Bears, Lions, and Packers. This might sound crazy but the team I wouldn’t want to see the most is the LIONS. That whole divison is tough. Guys have to step up. But its funny reading fans comments. “TRade for Big Al.” Go get randy moss, etc. Thats just fantasy talk. The only justification of getting Nnamid is BECAUSE OF BRENT GRIMES. Grimes is a good CB, but GRIMES WILL WANT MONEY PERIOD and I don’t blame him. Undrafted? Arguably pro bowl year? 27? This next contract will be his payday and its deserve. Foxworth was 3rd rounder who had 1 pick with us and got 35 mil. Grimes will demand that to 40 mil.
We just paid dunta. YOU MIGHT AS WELL BUMP UP THE CONTRACT TO 5 TO 10 MIL and go get Nnamdi. Thats the only way I could see us get nnamdi. ITs not like Blank doesn’t have the money. I think he will be willing to pay based on what happened against the packers. Fans leaving in your dome, IMAGINE HOW BLANK FEELS. That will stick with him through the whole off-season. Getting nnamdi isn’t as far fetched as some might seem. Dimitroff just has to have an agressive plan and pitch to him.
tyger
January 22nd, 2011
7:18 pm
2010 HBCU NFL Draft Board (1-6)
1. Kenrick Ellis 6-5, 340 DT Hampton
AP/FCS All-American, All-MEAC, 34 solo, 15TFL, 2 sacks
2. Clifford Eugene 6’1, 198 CB Tenn State
FCS All-American, 3x All-OVC, 4 Ints, 14 PDs
3. Johnny Culbreath 6’5, 285 OT SC State
AP/FCS All-American, 2x All-MEAC
4. Derrin Nettles 6’6, 320 DT Morehouse
AFCA All-American, All-SIAC,37 solo, 23 TFL, 14.5 sacks
5. Ibrahim Abdulai 6’3, 282 DT Ark-PB
All-SWAC, 31 solo, 18 TFL, 7.5 sacks
6. Frank Warren 5’10, 195 RB Grambling
FCS All-American, 2010 SWAC Offensive POY,
1,592 yd rushing, 3rd in NCAA
http://www.hbcuclassics.com
OneRyder
January 22nd, 2011
9:35 pm
Draft a top notch WR, and open up the passing playbook.
Look at FA, and pick up a DE so Abraham is not the only rusher. There are a ton of solid pass rushing DE’s becoming FA this year.Kiwanuka, Babin (finished 3rd in sacks), Charles Johnson (11.5 sacks), Packers Cullen Jenkins (nuff said about him if you watched Falcons vs Pack), Vikings Ray Edwards. Just a few, and more out there.
Don’t draft a DE hoping he turns out ok. Go get a tried and true FA.
Also, Sign Champ Bailey. And resign Brent Grimes.
Bride of Chucky Knapp
January 23rd, 2011
4:02 pm
They should pick up Chris Durham in later rounds. Would generate local interest and his work ethic fits with the Smith style.
joe
January 24th, 2011
11:25 am
Steave slaton,is on the bench fast back we need,houston texans.