Draft report card: Graders get an F, Falcons get 3 to 5 years
This is Mel Kiper. I don't particularly like what he does, and I certainly don't like his hair.
I was going to start this by saying what a stupid exercise it is for media members to “grade” an NFL teams’ drafts every year, and then I found something written by Rob Rang of CBS Sports that supplies the perfect analogy:
“Grading a draft immediately after it concludes is akin to giving your compliments to the chef before the meal has been served. Sure, the food might sound good (or bad) based on the ingredients listed on the menu, but the true review can’t be done until after the product has been tested.”
Think about it. I’ve had 17,000 plates of fettucini alfredo in my [ever-shortening] life. Sometimes, I wanted to marry it. Other times, I want to use it as spackle. Now, I may know my body NEEDS fettucini alfredo (go with it). But can I really give myself an A for making the right choice of fettucini alfredo on the menu, especially when the name of the restaurant is “Pedro’s”?
That didn’t come out right. But the point is, while I can know the Falcons need help at outline linebacker and on the defensive and offensive lines, I can’t know if Thomas Dimitroff picked the right players until after we’ve seen them play?.
You might’ve noticed: There’s no scoreboard at drafts.
And, dude: Please don’t come to the table with: “The guy shouldn’t have been drafted. EVERBODY knows it. I heard it on ESPN!”
Here’s what I know: The non-experts don’t know because the fact is even the experts don’t really know. Every year there are first-round busts and sixth-round Pro Bowlers. Drafts take three to five years to accurately judge.
All we can do is judge whether our team seemed to fill the right positions and didn’t do anything obviously stupid, like draft a player with five kids, seven DUIs or ever once uttered the phrase, “I see nothing wrong with dog fighting.”
So with that as a backdrop, I’ve compiled a list of “grades” from “experts.” They range from B to C-minus. They are for entertainment purposes only.
But before getting to the report cards, following is some actual serious analysis from a guy named Nolan Nawrocki, a respected draft analyst from Pro Football Weekly. Here’s his take on each of the Falcons’ seven draft picks:
♦ Sean Weatherspoon, OLB, Missouri: With Mike Peterson aging and playing undisciplined football, Weatherspoon adds youth to the Falcons’ linebacking unit. He is big, fast and flies to the ball. His play dropped off as a senior after he bulked up, but he looked much more comfortable after dropping weight at the Senior Bowl. The biggest challenge he will face upon entering the pros will be keeping his ego in check and not alienating veterans in the locker room.
♦ Corey Peters, DT, Kentucky: The Falcons concentrated on shoring up the the middle of their defense with the selections of Weatherspoon and Peters. Peters is a developmental three-technique with the quickness to add some value on third downs. With the injuries that struck the interior defensive line last season, depth was much needed.
♦ Mike Johnson, G, Alabama: With Harvey Dahl and Tyson Clabo restricted free agents and Justin Blalock entering a contract year, the Falcons needed some depth on the right side of their line, and Mike Johnson could provide it. He was a versatile performer on a national championship line and has the toughness and competitiveness to function ably in the NFL’s trenches.
♦ Joe Hawley, C, UNLV: The Falcons had a need in the middle of their line with Todd McClure aging, and they may have found a suitable replacement in Hawley . He may not look the part, but he is tough, scrappy and competitive and has the type of football temperament to play in the NFL a long time. He could also provide depth at guard, where he played as a senior.
♦ Dominique Franks, CB, Oklahoma: Hawley could bring the most value to the Falcons as a return man. He looks the part and has an intriguing physical skill set, but too many inconsistencies showed up on tape in college. He could compete for a job as a No. 4 or No. 5 corner.
♦ Kerry Meier, WR, Kansas: A converted quarterback, [Meier] has the dependable hands to stick as a No. 4 or No. 5 possession receiver with the Falcons, and could bring added value in the locker room with strong intangibles. He should earn a roster spot and has a chance to contribute.
♦ Shann Schillinger, S, Montana: [Schillinger] quickly came off the board to the Falcons and has the temperament to make the roster as a special-teams kamikaze.
The judges weigh in with their opinions after a draft pick at Radio City Music Hall in New York Thursday night.
And now, here’s are some of the grades:
♦ Mel Kiper, ESPN (C-minus): “ Sean Weatherspoon is a good outside linebacker and has the strength and size to start and be productive in this league, but after that, it’s a lot of wishful thinking. Corey Peters was a slight reach on my board even at 83 and has a ways to go to improve his skills. Joseph Hawley has a chance to develop, but a pair of guards and no tight end or even a shot at a defensive end surprises me. I don’t see an improved football team. (Note: Kiper also gave out C-minuses to Miami, Denver, Washington and Minnesota. The only team with a lower grade was Jacksonville with a D.”
♦ John Czarnecki, Fox Sports (B) (who’s solid and I’ve known for years, going back to NFL beat writing days in Los Angeles): “The Falcons concentrated on filling needs with Missouri OLB Sean Weatherspoon, possibly the most complete linebacker in the draft. He can cover and also rush the passer. To beef up the defensive line, Kentucky DT Corey Peters was taken with the 83rd overall pick and he should be a run stuffer. Alabama guard Mike Johnson is a physical run blocker and gives the Falcons some much needed depth at the position. Johnson started 41 consecutive games and played in a school-record 54 games. You have to remember, too, that the Falcons used a second-round pick on Tony Gonzalez, who paid huge dividends last season to Matt Ryan and the offense. Weatherspoon should be a starter. Guard Joe Hawley provided much-need depth. Oklahoma CB Dominique Franks knows how to play, but does he possess NFL speed and quickness?”
♦ Ross Tucker, Sports Illustrated (he didn’t give grades, just opinions): “What I liked: The selection of Sean Weatherspoon, ranked by some as the top linebacker in the draft, to immediately start at outside linebacker next to tackling machine Curtis Lofton. What I didn’t: The Falcons still don’t have a legitimate pass-rusher opposite John Abraham and even he isn’t the player he used to be. Moving forward: Signing Dunta Robinson in free agency and getting last year’s first round pick, Peria Jerry, back from injury gives this defense enough juice to compete with the New Orleans Saints for the NFC South division title.”
♦ Rob Rang, CBS Sports (B-minus) (who did this despite denouncing the exercise) “The Atlanta Falcons struck gold a few years ago with the selection of undersized linebacker Curtis Lofton in the second round. They went back to the Big 12 for another speedy playmaker with Sean Weatherspoon in the first. Expected to take over the weak-side position, Weatherspoon is ideal in Atlanta’s cover-two scheme, as is third-round pick Corey Peters, an underrated defensive tackle who several teams were targeting. Offensive guard Mike Johnson and center Joe Hawley provide solid depth. Cornerback Dominique Franks slipped to the fifth round, but has the length and straight-line speed to be effective in this scheme.”
♦ Pete Prisco, CBS Sports (B-minus): “Best pick: Third-round guard Mike Johnson is a tough guy from Alabama who will fit right in with the Falcons’ style of linemen. He is insurance for Justin Blalock, who has one year left on his deal. Questionable move: I wasn’t enamored with first-round pick Sean Weatherspoon as much as the Falcons were. I think he’s a bit overrated. Third-day gem: Cornerback Dominique Franks from Oklahoma is a talented player. He does have some character issues. But he could push for time as a nickel corner. Analysis: They were hoping a defensive end fell to them in the first round, but when the top ends went they took Weatherspoon. The rest of the draft was mostly spent trying to improve the defense. They landed some solid players.”
♦ Clifton Brown, The Sporting News (B-minus): “Linebacker Sean Weatherspoon has a chance to fill a need. The defensive line could be improved if defensive tackle Corey Peters contributes, along with defensive tackle Peria Jerry, who missed last season with a knee injury. If they become better on defense, particularly against the pass, the Falcons could return to the playoffs.”
So those are some of the grades.
Care to grade the graders?
♦
Earlier Falcons draft posts
♦ Falcons’ additions will get them back into playoffs
♦ Falcons still need linemen (and Weatherspoon video-palooza)
♦ Weatherspoon helps Falcons fix the right side of the ball
♦ Draft night (LIVE): Behind the scenes at Falcons’ HQ
♦ Draft day (Part II): Tebow top 15, Morgan to Falcons?
♦ Draft day (Part I): Falcon options; Berry rips Deion; Tebow to Vikes?
♦
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164 comments Add your comment
@DanWeiner
April 25th, 2010
8:26 pm
I give it an A+ if only because Thomas Dimitroff is good at his job and those wankers don’t know their butts from a hole in the ground.
UGA Student
April 25th, 2010
8:27 pm
I personally think that we had a great draft. I know that we don’t necessarily NEED to address DE, TE, or S just yet but we get a chance at the draft every year. I love the addition of the linemen, it reminds me of when we were the #1 rushing team in the league (just a couple years back). Colin Peek looks like a solid addition but I want to know more about the Schillinger guy, he intrigues me. Good job TD, I give the birds an A.
Mando
April 25th, 2010
8:30 pm
First?
Mando
April 25th, 2010
8:31 pm
I AM Epic Fail.
First
April 25th, 2010
8:31 pm
First
First
April 25th, 2010
8:32 pm
I know what you are thinking: I called myself first even though I didn’t make the top 5. But what you fail to understand, even though Jeff has tried to explain this to you, is that these things take at least 3 years to evaluate.
Matt the Brave
April 25th, 2010
8:32 pm
Why does ESPN hate everything Atlanta? Is it because we’re Southerners and they are uppity Yankees? Geez. And why all the hate for Tebow? It’s not like anyone put a gun to Denver’s head to pick him. Let them deal with the consequences. A lot better players with a worse attitude have gone higher and been a worse player. If anything, he’s the exact kind of person that the NFL needs.
Ben
April 25th, 2010
8:32 pm
I like the new draft format. Now if only we could get rid of some of the “talking heads” and replace others, we would really improve it. Five on the panel is too many! Cut it down to three, one of which should be Herm Edwards who knows his stuff and is low key. Team him with Gruden and pick a good host. I am tired of Berman, Kiper thinks he knows everything, Jackson looks tired and adds little and Young can go to the 2nd team. What do you think?
Delbert D.
April 25th, 2010
8:42 pm
Mel Kiper believes only in himself. ESPN’s Steve Young was ridiculous. He called Bay-Bay “Aurelius Thomas”, and he basically tried to shout everybody else down. Berman is so bad he is starting to reek.
Falcon Fanatic
April 25th, 2010
8:44 pm
It looks like we got 1 potential starter in Weatherspoon and maybe 4-5 back-ups. Not all that exciting right now, but we could still find a player or 2 in undrafted free agents and veteran unsigned free agents. Plus we have 2 or three major contributors coming back from injury. We should be at least 10-6 next year with the schedule we have and the bi week coming at a much better time than last year. GO FALCONS!!
Safety First
April 25th, 2010
8:45 pm
Has anyone ever thought of using Mel Kiper’s hair as padding in football helmets, to protect against brain injury?
Lenny in Ludowici
April 25th, 2010
8:46 pm
I think we actually need to grade Kipper-snack. How convenient that you’d have to pay to actually see what his mock draft picks were on ESPN Insider. If you compare his picks to how things panned out I’d bet a paycheck that he probably isn’t even near 30% in his predictions. He simply memorizes everything about the top 100 players and then when their names pop up, he develops diarrhea of the mouth and starts spewing worthless “facts” and his even more useless opinion.
And what’s up with his dorked up hair-do? I mean, c’mon, he paid to have someone do that to your head and make his head look square? There are greens at Augusta that aren’t that flat.
Archie
April 25th, 2010
8:48 pm
I didn’t have a problem with passing up the chance to take another DE. Bierman and Sidbury showed some promise last year that they can develop and earned at least another year to prove themselves. Bierman had 8 sacks last year, that’s not too shabby. I expect Jamaal Anderson to be release now because there are simply too many DEs and DTs on the roster now. The Franks pick confused me. If they’re looking for a guy with return skills, why not get a guy who can play WR too and give yourself the possibility that he can fill two roles. CB is another position that’s REALLY crowded now with about 7 guys competing for 5 or 6 spots, all the while WR is as shallow in numbers as CB is crowded. I can’t believe that WR wasn’t considered a need going into this draft given that Eric Weems and Brian Finneran were our #4 and 5 receivers and we had a scrap pile pickup at #3 in Marty Booker. I like the Kerry Meier pick, but I think Desmond Briscoe (his college teammate) would’ve been a better pick, or a WR with return skills would’ve been a better fit than Meier or Franks.
YellerSkeeters are PeterEaters!
April 25th, 2010
8:49 pm
We got what we needed, and in some cases what we wanted too. So, time will tell.
Harry
April 25th, 2010
8:49 pm
I cant help but agree, the picks that ticked me off were peters, franks, and the safety they got late
MarkTwain
April 25th, 2010
8:51 pm
After a day to digest it all, I’m satisfied with the draft. Smith/Dimitroff looked us in the eye a few years ago and said the goal was to build a consistent playoff contender. To that end, they drafted a pile of lunch-pail players just like the last two years. They didn’t go for the high risk/reward players that most of us fans wanted. For that we get back to back winning seasons. Most importantly, we’ve turned into one of the most physical teams in the league. Winning is great but mauling the opponents is more satisfying. For that I can shut up about Dwyer as long as Schillinger doesn’t end up playing in the same secondary as William Middleton.
Supes
April 25th, 2010
8:57 pm
Jeff,
Mel Kiper Jr. is correct. We did NOT address TE and DE in this draft, and we are one injury away from JUSTIN PEELE starting instead of Tony G, with no other pass catching TE in sight. Please don’t even try and bring up Colin Peek (who had 1 TD catch of note in his college career at Bama) as a TE possibility.
We are also counting on Abe going back to form, and getting improved production from Kroy B. and Lawrence S.
So if Abe goes down, then what? Who is our pass rusher coming off the end? Sidbury and Biermann?
While I understand that you create pressure from the middle (DT and LB) positions, TE and DE were NEEDS that the Falcons did NOT address in this draft.
Maybe if they had more picks, but to say that this Falcons draft doesn’t deserve criticism…I think you are reaching.
Felix the Cat
April 25th, 2010
8:57 pm
Solid A.. Filled needs with quality picks.. No reaches here.. As a season ticket holder…been nice to see a premier defensive end fall to 19 but they were scarfed up with trade ups before the 19th pick..so we took the best player at a need position…
Poor McKay
April 25th, 2010
8:59 pm
Shoulda grabbed Dan Williams in the 1st or Cam Thomas in the 3rd. Is the tandem of Jerry and Babineaux supposed to be some incredible run-stopping force? It feels like we’re so focused on stopping the Saints that we may not be able to defend the other 12 teams who will run the ball down our throats. A 320+ pound DT woule have been ideal and we failed to move on Williams or Thomas (or Woods for that matter). Remember when the Jaguars had Henderson and Stroud? Where are our comparable space-eaters? I would love to see a 4-some of Abraham, Jerry, Big-NT type and Babineaux at DE for the first 2 downs and then move Babineaux inside and bring Bierman in to rush from the end on passing downs.
Oh well, it’s a process.
Triple double entendre
April 25th, 2010
9:00 pm
Peters and Franks as draft picks? Is there a theme here? Next thing you know, someone is going to say the Falcons also drafted a Johnson.
Michael Thompson
April 25th, 2010
9:04 pm
“matt the brave” – I agree, if it aint dallas the giants or other marquee team, kiper and his ilk look down on them. On another note, Kiper’s strength may lie more in talent evaluation. His weakness is more obvious; he cannot evaluate how the talent is developed, utilized or integrated. then he has to give an opinion on that very thing.
Tech Fan Since 1950
April 25th, 2010
9:04 pm
I’m not so sure grades from the so-called experts are worth anything anymore, if ever. I was really amazed with the First Team(?) of ESPN experts (?) on Friday night this year. I thought their on-the-air coverage Friday was the poorest I have ever seen. Their team chemistry was way off and they seemed to be at each others throats. I do give kudos to the Saturday and Sunday ESPN crews (2nd and 3rd teamers) who brought a little life and humor to the show. Their expertise did not seem to be a drop off. Go Falcons, Broncos, Packers, Steelers and Bills!
crabapplejoe
April 25th, 2010
9:06 pm
Can someone please explain to my why Biermann is not the starting DE opposite Abraham. He has seven sacks in two years playing part time. Jamaal Anderson has 2.5 sacks in three years as a starter. Am I missing something here?
Vinny D
April 25th, 2010
9:08 pm
I remember watching a few Kansas games and being impressed with Meier. He is never gonna burn anyone deep or break 4 tackles to take it to the house. But look at his games and his stats and when you see games where he had 16, 14, 12 catches, you see what he is all about. Give what the DB gives you, get to the first down marker, make a catch. This guy is the definition of POSSESSION receiver. HE had 12 games in his career with at least 9 catches. My man shipley only had 9 games with that many catches. The other guys, never seen play so I have no opinion. Nothing worse than someone who forms their opinion based on “Someone else thinks…..”
Tech Fan Since 1950
April 25th, 2010
9:08 pm
My bad. I should have said Thursday, Friday and Saturday crews with the Thursday folks being a little off. Looks like I was off too, so I will not claim to be an expert.
Mr. Green Jeans
April 25th, 2010
9:10 pm
Nice one triple double – i’m still laughing
wasn't built in a day
April 25th, 2010
9:19 pm
these guys are not building the florida marlins here… they are putting the pieces together to create a year in, year out contender, maybe a super bowl winner here.
two winning seasons in a row. first time in my lifetime for sure. Tony Gonzalez should be considered part of this draft. Jerry comes back healthy, and weatherspoon is an effective starter. Peters makes the LB’s better and able to create more turnovers.
Let’s go Falcons!
Tdawg
April 25th, 2010
9:19 pm
Come on people cut Mel some slack. I personally thought that this draft was a bust. I give it a grade D and I am being kind in my opinion. Weatherspoon may pan out, the rest will be sent to the practice squad. The two linemen will get playing time in a couple of years by default because the Falcons won’t have anybody else that can play on the line. They took a wide out with good hands over another wide out with good hands and better speed. They took a CB that couldn’t blanket my grandmother. They took a safety because he will be a beast on special teams. They passed on Griffin and Norwood a pure tackling machine to take Peters. I actually like Peters, but he was not a big need. This draft strengthen us in no position on the field what so ever.
CONFEDERATE DAWG
April 25th, 2010
9:33 pm
ESPN DEF HATES ATL. HAWKS DAMN NEVER GOT A GAME HIGHLIGHT ALL YEAR AND NOW THEY TRY TO SHOW ALL THE PLAYOFFS ON NBA TV. MAYBE A SICK JSMITH DUNK ON TOP TEN. FALCONS FILLED NEEDS WITH WHAT WAS THERE. EVERYONE SAYS WE DIDNT GET A DEND. BUT WHICH ONE WOULD WE HAVE GOT? EVERSON GRIFFIN WHO OBVIOUSLY EVERY TEAM WAS PASSING ON FOR SOME REASON. WOULD OF LOVED TO GET ONE OF THEM DAWG DT’S OR RENNIE OR RESHAD BUT HEY. HOW BOUT THEM DAWGS.
NFL fan
April 25th, 2010
9:35 pm
Smith is too old school. The Jags couldn’t beat Indy with run stopping D and running O, so we get Smith a Jax disciple, wanting to run the ball and stop the run. That’s not going to work with the Saints. They don’t run. They have eight guys to throw to. So we get behind and are forced to throw. Sounds like the big Ten. We don’t have many weapons on offense, and can’t rush the pass. We’ll beat all the mediocre teams and finish above 500, but until Jax can beat Indy, we won’t beat the Saints.
raglan99
April 25th, 2010
9:35 pm
I think everyone may be selling Bierman and Sidbury a little short. I listened to an interview on Sirius NFL with Jay Glazer of Fox Sports last weekend. He also runs an MMA gym with Randy Couture and I believe now 12 Falcons are participating in his training program this offseason. He specifically mentioned Sidbury as a someone who’s embraced the program and that he’s a beast. Glazer has been training Jared Allen for several years now and that’s turned out pretty well. Not to say Sidbury is another Jared Allen but if he can learn that type of intensity maybe we have something.
Barkin'Dog
April 25th, 2010
9:36 pm
I liked the results of this draft. Get depth for the long haul and trade for the big names we need.
Meier reminds me of Wayne Chrebet with the Jets of yesteryear, and he wasn’t even drafted. He catches everything thrown his way, especially with the game on the line. With Meier and Gonzo in on 3rd downs, Ryan will find one of them for first and 10. With Dunta providing leadership, Spoon will get 4-5 picks this season, but the best part is getting them when they’re needed most. This will be a magical season for the Falcons. You’ll see so much success, even a hurt Abraham will play through pain to keep the team on track for a playoff run.
jerry
April 25th, 2010
9:39 pm
a great big Frickin F . My son could have done better
kenneth
April 25th, 2010
9:41 pm
to everybody you all know football so why your not playing the season hasn’t started and you already bad mouthing people we pick I hope all of you get made fools of but your are already that. GOOD ATLANTA.
Triple double entendre
April 25th, 2010
9:44 pm
Much obliged Mr. Green Jeans
Reid Adair
April 25th, 2010
9:49 pm
There’s a reason that these self-proclaimed “experts” talk about drafts and players’ potential as opposed to working for an NFL organization and actually being involved in the process.
I’ll take the decisions of Thomas Dimitroff and Mike Smith over those of Mel Kiper Jr., Chris Berman and Steve Young every day of the week.
B
April 25th, 2010
9:58 pm
Really no clue how to grade them, but it seems like TD likes players from certain schools i.e. Mizzou,, Oklahoma, and Montana?!? Well see how it pans out, but I would have liked to see the Falcons add an exlposive playmaker on offense.
Berman rhymes with vermin
April 25th, 2010
10:01 pm
An NFL exec would get more value picking their nose than letting Berman advise them on a pick.
That even goes for the Raiders.
JBFALCON
April 25th, 2010
10:06 pm
All of you wannabe GM’s really are amusing. Those of you who want to complain about our draft picks should go up to Suwanee and put on a uniform. Woulda, shoulda, coulda, don’t get it. Get on board or shut TF up!
rmutt1917
April 25th, 2010
10:09 pm
I think there are astute people who see the potential in Kerry Meier – although I don’t get the Chrebet/Welker comparisons (other than being a possession receiver and working well in tight space). Meier is much bigger than those two, and can only benefit from an association w/Gonzalez, who’s clever at using a big body to shield a defender from the ball. Kansas fell apart last season w/the Mangino issues, but their 3 draftees are all likely keepers (WR Dezmon Briscoe w/Cincy, and S Darrell Stuckey w/SD).
If you have personal contact w/Meier in the future, be certain to offer condolences on the loss of his brother, Dylan, who died last week, in a freak hiking accident in Arkansas. From what I read, the elder brother lived a very rewarding, well-rounded life for the entirety of his 26 yrs. There was much anticipation in big xii N country that the brothers would square off w/their respective teams in Kerry’s 1st yr at KU (when he was still a QB), as Dylan was then the QB at K-State. Dylan got injured, was supplanted by freshman Josh Freeman, and it never came to pass.
shawn
April 25th, 2010
10:13 pm
I could care less what grade anyone from ESPN gives TD or any team for that matter. One of their analysts said Friday (on air) that we got Matt Ryan in the third round! Nice try pal!
DamYankee
April 25th, 2010
10:16 pm
Lot of self-proclaimed “experts” blogging here who know even less than Kiper, Berman and Young, if that’s possible. And on the subject of ESPN talking heads, I spent the last 2 hours listening to Jon Miller & Joe Morgan, Tweedledum & Tweedledee. If I had to listen to those morons over 100+ games a year I’d open a vein. It almost makes me yearn for Chip Karay’s insightful grasp of the obvious,
Draft aficionado
April 25th, 2010
10:16 pm
Not so fast JBFalcon. Having been a third string junior varsity QB in an 8 on 8 football league, I know a thing or two about competing at the highest levels.
Chip Carey play by play
April 25th, 2010
10:20 pm
“And here’s the 4-2 pitch…and it’s a line drive down the third base line; bounces off the wall in centerfield…and he slides into second with a triple!”
Jamaaliver
April 25th, 2010
10:22 pm
I am amazed that Defensive End Eversen Griffen was projected by so many to go in the 1st round, fell all the way to the 4th round, yet we passed up on him with BOTH of our 3rd round picks. We have a need for a young TE, and even though 21 other TEs were drafted, we didn’t get one of them.
Weatherspoon and Johnson were solid picks, if not spectacular ones. But after free agency and the draft, we still have serious questions at DE, backup TE, and WR.
Draft Grade: B-
JMAYNE
April 25th, 2010
10:25 pm
Falcons had a good draft. Jerry+Peters+Babs= a good d-tackle rotation. The key to defense is up the middle. Stoppin the run and taking on the double team all begin with dtackles. It will make the d-ends better. LBs are covered for a few years with Spoon on the weak and Lofton in the middle. Daunta and owens = moore and decoud? sounds like a better than average defense
Whopper Dawg
April 25th, 2010
10:28 pm
I hope everything works out. I have been keeping up with these bozos since 1966 and I assure you I can list more bad draft picks that you could SPOT immediately than I can count. Fricking Vick included.
I think this draft and the last are full of choices that you could definitely question and for sure 2009 is a major disappointment after playing (or not) for one year, (mostly not). If Spoon is not a player, I mean a starter that can come in a kick a little tail, then we are in big trouble with the 2010 draft as the others are complete developmental/situational players at best and at least two would have been free agents.
Draft report card: Graders get an F, Falcons get 3 to 5 years | External Sound Cards
April 25th, 2010
10:32 pm
[...] Source [...]
Mike F
April 25th, 2010
10:33 pm
I can’t believe that after all these years, there’s still anyone (even at the AJC) that still sees ESPN as anything but a broadcast, sporting tabloid.
These folks don’t specialize in real sports. They make their money on boorish spectacle like PT Barnum.
Of course, we created this monster just because we’ve never once kicked them to the curb and demanded a higher standard.
As long as we continue to patronize their product and sponsors, they don’t have any reason to improve.
Jeff Schultz
April 25th, 2010
10:33 pm
Supes — 1) I understand the need for a tight end to replace TG but to me that’s not a higher priority than DL, OL or even WR; 2) This draft was said to be deep in DTs, not DEs. So while I agree the Falcons need ends, I’m not sure you reach for an end if there’s a more talented tackle. Further, if you improve the inside pass rush, it will take some pressure off of Abe.
Brandon
April 25th, 2010
10:35 pm
i know there are prob not a whole lot of tebow fans on here, but ya’ll have to agree that got old. rather i think he can or any someone thinks he can’t succeed in the nfl, it was ridiculous to hear mel kiper and todd mcshay constantly dog him and denver for 3 days. i am a huge tebow fan, and now i want him to prove them wrong more than ever! i also thought it was funny to see jason campbell go to oakland and take the starting job away from a guy that kiper and mcshay called a “can’t miss prospect” in jamarcus russell. the falcons had a good draft. they filled a few needs. i give it a b+. only thing i think they should have done was trade back into the 3rd round and take everson griffen. i agree with the poster above, have herm edwards and john gruden on there with a guest host, i still say berman. wouldn’t fill right to have a draft without berman!!!
Jeff Schultz
April 25th, 2010
10:35 pm
Crabapplejoe — I wouldn’t assume JAnderson is secure as a starter — or for that matter on the roster.
First
April 25th, 2010
10:37 pm
Come on Jeff, you gotta admit that 8:32 post was a pretty good save of the 8:31 post calling first.
Fans Grade the Falcons Draft | Atlanta Falcons: Bird Cage
April 25th, 2010
10:38 pm
[...] Jeff Schultz Grades the Supposed Draft “Experts” [...]
89falcon
April 25th, 2010
10:42 pm
i think this draft was probly the worst i have seen by them in a while.the only pick i like was the the first one everybody after that is just garbage,a bunch of no names! they pass on to many quality athleats
Mike F
April 25th, 2010
10:47 pm
@89falcon – Names don’t play this game. Ryan Leaf, Brian Bosworth… and omg, Aundray Bruce all testify to that.
GSU Eagle 91
April 25th, 2010
10:54 pm
Clifton must have spent hours pouring over data to arrive at this insight….
If we play better defense, we might make the playoffs…LOL
That is usually the way it works, isn’t it?
crabapplejoe
April 25th, 2010
10:57 pm
I don’t understand why you can’t have a conversation about Biermann without Sidbury being thrown in. Biermann has proven to be a talent…not so much Sidbury…why can’t we just start Biermann. Would that cause too many problems with the team “chemistry”….LOL at the reality of it all.
Sid
April 25th, 2010
10:57 pm
I’m tired of all the speculation, let’s tee it up………..!!
BullDawg Rick
April 25th, 2010
11:06 pm
In Dimitroff I Trust!!
Falcon 34
April 25th, 2010
11:10 pm
Jeff–Great article. I was taken a-back at first at many of the names that scrolled across the board, but after looking more closely at them and their college production, I’m starting to like the draft more and more. It was not the flashiest, but I think we got some really, really good football players. Love the Weatherspoon, Johnson, and Franks picks. Really liking the Meier pick the more I’ve read about him (better college production than WR’s such as Riley Cooper, Jacoby Ford, et al) and the same goes with Peters.
Dan Williams (26th overall) – 9 Tackles for Loss, 2.5 Sacks
Corey Peters (83rd overall) – 12 Tackles for Loss, 4 Sacks
Still a little surprised on the Hawley picks (taking him that early) and certainly shocked in drafting another safety after we have Thomas DeCoud, William Moore, Erik Coleman, Matt Giordano, and Antoine Harris. Not a hyped draft with the biggest names, but got some really, really good football players. IMO
PMC
April 25th, 2010
11:21 pm
they have to do grades now though. All it is really is an opinion on filling needs. Most national writers are going to look at us and say… oh Abe’s getting old, they don’t have anyone really to replace him… but that’s not necessarily true. They got Sidberry whom they love and Biermann has been effective on the opposing side. They couldn’t cover anyone for any length of time last year. The little dumpoffs were always open. The defense couldnt’ get off the field. Both of the two early picks directly address the biggest problem on the defense outside of cornerback which they shored up with Robinson. Hopefully Williams can come back healthy.
We need HD back something terrible or else we are razor thin with playmakers on offense again this year.
PMC
April 25th, 2010
11:22 pm
If the Kansas kid can be what BFinn has been it’s an outstanding pick.
PMC
April 25th, 2010
11:24 pm
When Jerry was on the field with Babs neither of our two ends had any trouble getting into the backfield and linebackers were free to make plays.
Brian Williams was a one man gang right up until the injury.
Matt "Choke" Ryan
April 25th, 2010
11:26 pm
That Falcons suck and will continue to suck.
They should have drafted a quarterback that can stretch the field – they have a roster of Noodle arms except for DJ and we know they don’t want him on the team.
Dimitroff can’t hold Ozzie Newsome’s jock strap. Once again the Ravens got a grade A – Amazing.
Now Flacco finally has some weapons, we will see just who was the better draft when the Falcons play the Ravens.
But Matt
April 25th, 2010
11:30 pm
How can TD hold Ozzie Newsome’s jockstrap if you won’t let go of it?
kelvin davis
April 25th, 2010
11:31 pm
Ok so lets talk about this draft for us… Sean Weatherspoon will start from day 1 and he will wear number 51. Him and Curtis Lofton and Stephen Nicholas will be the starters at linebacker when the season opens up for us next year… Cory Peters will wear number 91 and will be good insurance in case Peria Jerry, Johnathan B. or Thomas Johnson go down. He will compete with Thomas Johnson for the 4th spot in the rotation.. Mike Johnson will wear number 70 and will be starting on the O-line somewhere in the middle of the season for us. If you don’t think he is good just go ask all the teams that couldn’t stop the Heisman trophy winner Ingram and get to the QB McCelroy for Alabama.. He’s big and very quick for his size.. Joe Hawley will be the starting center for us when McClure’s time is up completely.. Don’t be surprised if he is starting over McClure when we open up the season to.. There’s a possibility McClure could be cut.. We did the same thing to Lawyer Milloy and Thomas Decoud had a Pro Bowl kind of year for us so just watch for that.. Dominique Franks will wear 24 for us and he’ll be used in our nickel and dime packages.. Don’t be surprised if he gets the chance to beat out Eric Weems for the Kickoff and Punt Return duties..He is very dangerous and skilled at returning the ball… 2 of his returns were called back for holding while he was at Oklahoma.. The SLEEPER PICK of the draft is Kerry Meier. He will wear either 80 or 81 for us. In case you haven’t watched him play he catches everything thrown to him (Literally).. The way they talk about him is the same way they talked about Hines Ward.. Look at Hines now.. A QB turned receiver that isn’t fast but is quick, tough, and catches everything thrown to him.. And on top off that this guy is 6′3 213 pounds.. We have a beast on deck for us.. Watch what he does this offseason for us.. He ran a 4.5 at the combine.. He’s only gonna get faster so don’t be worried.. Look at how good he runs routes to.. Michael Jenkins shouldn’t be to confident to be opposite Roddy at the beginning of the year for us.. He already might be faster than Jenkins.. I’m willing to bet money he has better hands than Jenkins.. He put 102 catches in college.Kansas only played like 11 games cause they were bad last year so they didn’t have a bowl game.. Shann Schillenger is pretty fast.. Maybe faster than our whole secondary.. We’ll have him on special teams and he’ll be a stud for us.. The only thing that killed us last year was injuries.. When you look at our pash rush at the beginning of the season with healthy players we were getting to the QB then it drifted off when the injuries started.. Personally I liked this draft for us.. And I think we all should agree that we have some solid players to come out this draft.. We have Pittsburgh in Week 1 this year coming up.. We’ll probably be going against Charlie Batch so we’ll see how the pass rush does in week one.. give me some feed back everyone
Supes
April 25th, 2010
11:36 pm
Oh look…the trolls are out in full force tonight…nice
Jeff,
Here is what would actually make the draft “work” for the falcons…IF Tony Gonzalez stays healthy and has another productive year at TE, and if Abe (returns to his old form from 2 years ago), and Kroy and Lawrence can progress where we maybe get 10-12 sacks from them combined at the other DE.
Also in effect, we got nothing from William Moore and P. Jerry last year, so maybe they also help out the D as a whole, to where the fact that we didn’t draft an impact DE prospect doesn’t matter.
athens bird
April 25th, 2010
11:38 pm
Kiper used to be a good child actor when he was on The Munsters. I always wondered what happened to Eddie Munster.
But Matt
April 25th, 2010
11:40 pm
Kelvin, Edward Scissorhands has better hands than Jenkins.
Matt "Choke" Ryan's crack dealer
April 25th, 2010
11:45 pm
Matt, I see by your comments above you smoked some of that sh**t you bought from me the other day. I told you it was good..it got you so f**ked up you suggested the Falcons draft a QB. I havent smoked as much as you so I would suggest you get your head out of your ass and also out of Ozzies jock strap.
Ravens fans dont need fans like Matt Choke Ryan
April 25th, 2010
11:51 pm
Most of us Raven fans
a/live in Baltimore
b/ have forgotten that Ray Lewis was an accessory to murder and got away with it.
c/have mostly good fans, but there a few total losers that pull for the Ravens.one of them is Matt Choke Ryan. Pls take him back we dont want him..or at least let take a limo ride with Lewis and his thug friends.
But Matt
April 25th, 2010
11:51 pm
“Choke” is still mad because the NFL violated confidentiality and disclosed what he got on his Wonderlic Test.
Nail Polish.
waw
April 25th, 2010
11:54 pm
What does a B-minus mean from these ‘experts?’ The Falcons did good but I’m in a bad mood?
UGASlobberknocker
April 25th, 2010
11:55 pm
The Falcons may have the worst history in the NFL, but they’re still our team..So to all of you transplants who feel the need to bash the Falcons and praise your team..stick it.
Show some class or move back to wherever it is you came from. Delta is ready when you are.
But Matt
April 25th, 2010
11:56 pm
Actually these days, Delta might be ready 2-3 hours after you are.
Ray Lewis
April 25th, 2010
11:57 pm
Hey “Choke”..wanna go for a ride?
But Matt
April 26th, 2010
12:01 am
“Choke” wants to talk about a quarterback who stretches the field? Can Choke even stretch a rubber band?
Flo-Ri-Duh!
April 26th, 2010
12:04 am
Again – the Falcons would have had at least a”b+” if they had taken Dez Bryant instead of a LB …. he is an Academic All American and was rated in the top 10 in the draft and the #1 WR in the draft. He is the deep threat the Falcons need. They blew it. The NCAA punished him for TALKING to Deion Sanders. He hasn’t violated any laws, done drugs or done anything immoral to a woman. It is ridiculous that they passed him up and they will regret it. The entire offense would have improved by 50% which would have improved the defense by keeping them off of the field. The Falcons have gotten ZERO skill players in the last two drafts and Ryan is getting more beat up and older every year.
kelvin davis
April 26th, 2010
12:16 am
give me some feed back
T_Height
April 26th, 2010
12:17 am
this draft to me didn’t have many great player to me. The top 10 players seem to be really good players and the first two receivers taken. I think the biggest steal will be the Jerry Hughes (DE/LB) from TCU. this class may be about the undrafted players. I think Brandon Lang (DE), Donovan Warren (cb is another houston at corner but will be better as a safety), Jarrett Brown (QB), and LaGarette Blount (RB and a steal for any team that get him only if he gets his act together and train the way he should.) are going to be really good players. Jeremy Williams is also a pretty good receiver. Although he isn’t the fastest receiver in the draft he has everything else great receivers possess. While the falcons wanted to fill needs to bolster their roster, its always good to get players that can become really good players just in case one of the starters get hurt or don’t produce as expected. I’m comfortable with the falcons not selecting a DE because i do like Sidbury and Bierman as the future ends. They just have to get on the field more and I think this year they will. Another Mike or inside LB would be great addition. I’m kind of surprised that Lindsey Witten from connecticut wasn’t drafted. he could be great in a 3-4 scheme or a mike l/b.
David C
April 26th, 2010
12:22 am
A good idea going forward would be to note the grades of so-called experts and writers from 5 years back and then we’d all know who is the expert and who is the hack
Inside scoop?
April 26th, 2010
12:23 am
How do you know about the uniform numbers kelvin?
I hear “Choke” wears #5. Not because it’s Flacco’s number, but because it was Choke’s Wonderlic score.
Cosmos
April 26th, 2010
12:26 am
I like the “Spoon” pick in the first round. For the 2nd round you have to consider that as Tony Gonzales and I’m happy with that. I’m good with Peters, Johnson and Hawley. After that I just don’t know, remains to be seen. Falcons just didn’t have enough high draft picks to rate a high grade, but it seems they got what they needed and so far I trust TD and MS to make the right choices. They’ve earned that right.
kelvin davis
April 26th, 2010
12:27 am
lol its the thought that counts about the jersey numbers
Matt "Choke" Ryan
April 26th, 2010
12:40 am
The GM Comparison since 2008:
Ozzie Smith
- QB 1st rookie to lead team to Championship game
- Won 3 playoff games
- Back-To-Back playoff seasons
- Back-To-Back seasons with playoff wins
- Franchise qb only costed 30 million
Thomas Dimitroff
- ZERO playoff wins
- ZERO Back-To-Back playoff appearances
- ZERO Championship games
- ZERO Back-To-Back playoff wins
- Franchise qb costed 72 million
Dimitroff is just a Bellicheck reject…………….. This regime is a BUST!
HA HA HA
Matt "Choke" Ryan's brain surgeon
April 26th, 2010
12:42 am
Matts memory is about as long as….well you know…….Matt has trouble remembering when Balitmore sucked so bad that they had to sneak out of town in the middle of the night by tractor trailor. Then they were replaced by that other team that sucked more than they did…….you know ….that power house Cleveland Browns team. The bad thing was that nobody gave a rats ass about either one….Matt….here’s a reminder….THEY BOTH SUCKED!!!!!! Everybody knows that all of Baltimore’s draft picks are going to the pro bowl. Hell they don’t even need Falco anymore. the guys they picked are the cream of the crop, they run, pass, kick and suck better than the rest of the draft combined. In my opinion Matt has strong manlove for the OZ and he needs to take two advil and three of those tight ends he loves so dearly and call ray lewis in ths morning…..
Matt "Choke" Ryan
April 26th, 2010
12:43 am
2004 and counting suckers…………. ha ha ha
6 Freakin seasons since the Falcons have won a playoff game
6 Freakin seasons since the Falcons made it to the Championship game
6 Freakin seasons since the Falcons have won a division title
We all know who was the last qb to accomplish those moments………
HA HA HA
JKA
April 26th, 2010
12:45 am
It’s always interesting when you see comments such as, “they didn’t get a defensive end”…this seems to imply that you should force a pick for a lower rated player at a position of need rather than take a player of greater value…..and especially considering the bust rate for pass rushers (anyone seen Vernon Gholston, Cameron Maybin or Robert Ayers lately, not to mention Jamaal Anderson ?), this seems like a losing proposition…….Remember how some experts thought the Falcons could go for Everson Griffen in round 1 ? Seems as though the people who actually pick the players for a living agreed that this was not a wise thing, as the entire league passed on him until the 100th pick.,,,about where we got a developmental pass rusher (Sidbury) last year. The draft is not just about getting good players who fit your scheme, but also getting them in the right round.
kelvin davis
April 26th, 2010
12:59 am
this draft was weak in talent compared to the last 2 years
KakNiqueTree
April 26th, 2010
1:02 am
Ok then, let’s grade the Falcons’ 2006 draft! If anyone remembers who they drafted that year!
jared
April 26th, 2010
1:02 am
the guys who give draft grades are the same guys who had dwyer late first – early second round, clausen top 15, and colt mccoy second round. Now you tell me why what they say matters.
T_Height
April 26th, 2010
1:09 am
As much as i hate to admit it and as much as you may not like it but i think Tebow just may be a pretty good qb. if he works hard enough he could be another stever young
kelvin davis
April 26th, 2010
1:09 am
I remember.. That year they got Jimmy Williams with our 2nd Round pick.. We traded away our 1st Round pick for John Abraham
Who really cares about college ball here
April 26th, 2010
3:29 am
Hee hee
Who really cares about college ball here
April 26th, 2010
3:30 am
What CRABAPPLEJOE really means is “why can’t we play the white guy and just forget about the black guy?”
Ummm
April 26th, 2010
4:04 am
What is an “outline linebacker”? Is he the guy who creates solid bullet points for the team’s game plan?
Southside
April 26th, 2010
5:03 am
Dimi and Smitty have already done what no one else could with this franchise,2 winning seasons in a row. Who knows what draft choices will do? Where is David Green now? The Falcon brain trust know what they are doing.
AugustaFan
April 26th, 2010
6:19 am
You can’t judge an NFL draft before the players get on the field any more than you can judge the UGA recruiting class until you see who stays out of jail.
DamYankee
April 26th, 2010
6:24 am
There is one person who’s opinion matters less than Kiper’s – “Choke”.
Samuel
April 26th, 2010
6:51 am
I think are defense will Improve this year by hook or crook. Being that said the Falcons will go as far as Matty Ice can take them. He has to play close to Peyton Manning and Drew Brees to get us to the big dance……………….
Required Reading | Hard Knox Sports
April 26th, 2010
7:47 am
[...] How did the “experts” rated the Falcons draft? [AJC] [...]
Biggdawg33
April 26th, 2010
7:54 am
I know everyone is fussing about not taking a TE, but the Falcons did sign Michael Palmer out of Clemson. This ATL guy made some sick catches in Death Valley and with Tony G. there to hopefully impart some wisdom, he could be a great TE.
Dave
April 26th, 2010
7:55 am
I have a good idea for you Jeff Shultz I think when we grade the current years draft class you should also re-grade the previous four years draft classes as well to see how these players actually pan out so we find out if players you expected to be good were and players panned turned out to be nice players. I think this might be a good column to do every year so fans will find out how good or bad these pundits did in there analysis also.
gman
April 26th, 2010
8:11 am
First off. Who cares what Kiper syas. I do NOT understand why anyone watches the guy. Has he EVER played the sport? He is the most overated egomaniacal excuse for a hair ad I’ve ever seen.
Having said that:
Has everyone watched the tape on our picks? TD KNOWS what he’s doing. Spoon will be a monster,
Corey will be a great replacement for Bab’s (who likely will be cut after he’s sentenced). Both guards are monsters and Blaylock was terrible last year. Meier has INCREDIBLE hands and will our Wes Welker.
I don’t have an opinion on Franks yet and I couldn’t find much on the Schiullinger kid but the others are startes waiting to happen.
GREAT JOB!!
Genius
April 26th, 2010
8:19 am
You have to believe that if DT asked Biermann about Shann Schillenger, that he would have had even more respect for Ryan’s opinion on his former center Tennant. My guess is that if Ryan had wanted him, he would have got him. Hawley is strong, agile, versatile and mean, and will be one of the best players we drafted in this class long term.
jerry
April 26th, 2010
8:24 am
The Falcons should have drafted Claussen with their 1st pick and then traded him out of the NFC South.
The Walrus
April 26th, 2010
8:37 am
These draftniks who are griping about the Falcons not getting a DE are the very same people who were *praising* the Falcons for the selection of Lawrence Sidbury *last* season. It doesn’t make sense. What’s changed since last year, when they were all heaping praise on Dimitroff for grabbing such a great sleeper?
Which mid-to-late DE (because there was no DE – not one – worth the number 19 pick) was going to be any better of an option *this* season than a player like Sidbury with a year already under his belt?
I’m not saying Sidbury (or Biermann, for that matter) is going to be the next coming of Reggie White (or Chuck Smith, for that matter) but a little perspective from these guys would be a breath of fresh air. You can’t fill every need in one draft, it just doesn’t work that way. And how about these draftniks give us, oh, say, at least a season to develop these sleepers everyone was so high on last year?
cajdawg
April 26th, 2010
8:40 am
I don’t understand why everyone is lining up to kiss TDs as$. I generally like him, but he is building a reputation before it is deserved. Ryan and Lofton are both above average, but neither has yet to make the probowl. TD has whiffed on every cornerback so far. P Jerry is undersized and had an injury history before he was drafted.
Peters may turn out to be a decent player, but is he any better than Thomas Johnson or Trey Lewis? That pick doesn’t make any sense in the 3rd round, maybe in the fourth or fifth. TD seems to have a poor sense of relative draft valuation, which isn’t as important as talent evaluation, but it is still important.
PlanB
April 26th, 2010
8:42 am
Jerry – you’re probably right. What a pick at(I beleive) 48 for our foe, Carolina. Another haunt will be Jimmy Graham TE that went to NO.
I hope our draft went better than I am able to comprehend. What was wrong with Matt Tennant?
Gen Neyland
April 26th, 2010
8:43 am
Curious about the undrafted free agents..?
http://www.nepatriotsdraft.com/p/2010-nfl-undrafted-free-agents.html
Prof
April 26th, 2010
8:43 am
You’re starting to take after Ledbetter! Edit and proof your work!
1) “need help at outline linebacker” – should be “outside linebacker”
2) “But the point…seen them play?” – there shouldn’t be a “?” there.
C’mon, you’re a professional writer – show it!
F-105 Thunderchief
April 26th, 2010
8:46 am
Every team is always one injury away from the backup being the starter. Justin Peele is a more-than-adequate backup for Gonzalez. It’s unreasonable to expect to be two-deep with Pro Bowlers at every position.
F-105 Thunderchief
April 26th, 2010
8:48 am
Prof, we’ll know for sure if he makes the correction and then deletes your post.
James Bond
April 26th, 2010
8:55 am
The Falcons brass must have seen Diamonds are Forever before the draft……………..Peter Franks…………how else would they come up with that combination???????????
Jeff Schultz
April 26th, 2010
8:57 am
Shawn — Somebody on ESPN really said that? Ouch.
Jeff Schultz
April 26th, 2010
8:59 am
Crabapplejoe — Can’t speak for Sidbury but I thought Biermann really showed something as a pass rusher last season.
Jeff Schultz
April 26th, 2010
8:59 am
Thanks, Falcon34
Jeff Schultz
April 26th, 2010
9:00 am
Supes — Agreed. I also think 32 teams in the NFL have a similar list of “ifs”
Jeff Schultz
April 26th, 2010
9:01 am
Athens Bird — Kiper=Eddie Munster. I like it.
Jeff Schultz
April 26th, 2010
9:05 am
First — I looked at the tape and you weren’t first. Sorry, that’s no subjective. But let’s see how you develop.
Clay
April 26th, 2010
9:08 am
Prof, get a life . . .
Jeff Schultz
April 26th, 2010
9:09 am
Cajdawg — It’s not about kissing anybody’s a**. It’s about giving the benefit of the doubt to a guy who’s done a pretty good job in his two years. Success provides you with the benefit of the doubt, failure doesn’t.
Jeff Schultz
April 26th, 2010
9:10 am
Dave — Same thought passed through my mind 2 days ago. May do it, if not as a column then at least as a blog.
DHD
April 26th, 2010
9:14 am
I grade the AJC an “F” for constantly writing articles about former ATL players.
suwaneedawg
April 26th, 2010
9:17 am
Good article Jeff. I agree that people like Kiper are like movie critics. The movies they grade as fantastic usually suck and the ones they deem not watchable make big money. You are not sure what you have until you get them on the practice field. Like politics, everyone wants to give their “expert” opinion.
Clay
April 26th, 2010
9:18 am
Jeff, you sure there isn’t some “hair jealousy” going on with you regarding Kiper?
Haha. I hate to watch ESPN this time of year cause he’s on there every 30 minutes, usually rolling his eyes and shaking his head at Todd McShay’s comments. He was about to wig out Thu nite over his “boy” Clausen having to wait so long.
No One Knows You're a Dawg
April 26th, 2010
9:22 am
“Who watches the Watchmen?”
Kiper in his mock drafts and post-draft analysis is all about teams selecting the player he thinks they should select at the place he thinks they should select them. If a GM does what Kiper says he should do, then Mel loves him. If not, Kiper hates the pick. Ultimately, it’s not about the player or the team; it’s all about Kiper.
Of course, this means at times the GMs make Kiper look foolish. It was very entertaining watching Kiper when Tebow (who Kiper didn’t like) got selected while Clausen (who Kiper had as the 5th best player in the draft) fell like a stone.
I mock the NFL Draft analysis
April 26th, 2010
9:26 am
a big fat D, with Weatherspoon getting the only A
Daniel Bell
April 26th, 2010
9:26 am
True story: Mel Kiper adovcated the idea that Ryan Leaf should have been picked before Peyton Manning.
This alone should have killed his creditability.
Sick & TIred Of Being Sick & TIred
April 26th, 2010
9:27 am
THANKS for this article. Maybe some of the “EXPERTS” that have been responding to the Falcon’s blog the last couple of days will go do something constructive with their time instead of ranting about how bad the Falcon’s draft choices have been this year.
The way I figure it….if “THEY” excelled at identifying good NFL draft talent, they would “ACTUALLY” be doing it for an NFL team. As the article has implied…..since you don’t know WTF you’re talking about go sit down and take your hands off your keyboard and wait until you actually see these new players on the field before you deem them to be a bad choice or a bust
Chop Buster
April 26th, 2010
9:28 am
I think it’s ludicrous for someone to think they can develop a draft board (without knowing every teams schemes/needs) and develop a list of players that they “think” should be the player taken by that team.
It’s like taking a whiz in the wind…you don’t know where it will end up. LOL
That being said, Kiper, McShay and all the other draft gurus get a fat “F” from me for trying to be a psychic.
Steve Jones
April 26th, 2010
9:29 am
I like the draft and like how Dimitrof thinks. Only time will tell if we did the right thing by not grabbing a DE in the 2nd or 3rd round. I’ll take our GM’s word for it afterall, he’s the expert and he’s the professional of his craft.
I’m still of the opinion that Mularkey’s playcalling better get more exciting, and less conservative, this year. The injuries to our team and his lame play calling did not help our chances last year. That, and we’d better have a reliable place kicker.
Let’s trust the team leaders who want nothing more than we do..
A Super Bowl Win.
PMC
April 26th, 2010
9:38 am
Every year we hope and beg for depth on the lines we finally get some and we don’t like who it was.
Personally the more I know of these guys the more I like them. I love picking up Peek and Palmer too. Both should be good blockers and have some ability to be that TE that leaks out and catches a TD as the 3rd or even 4th option. We’ve seen it before from Matt Ryan to Jason Rader etc.
It’s just great and a little strange that we have such good leadership in town. A clear vision and focus where there hasn’t really been one before for more than a few years at a time.
Real UT
April 26th, 2010
9:51 am
I personally really liked the Falcons draft. I always think its a good sign for a team when the picks are not your prototypical “sexy” pick- this perhaps the only time sexy is used to describe gigantic men- like a RB, QB, WR. I think depth was a huge factor at DT last year, and the Falcons have needed another good linebacker. It will be fun to watch Witherspoon and Lofton develop at the LB position. I think the Falcons were able to sure up depth at positions that were exposed by better teams via giving up sacks, not getting sacks, giving up yards on the ground late in close games, and pass coverage in general. The later was addressed with Dunta Robinson’s FA signing. Also, I’m going to start looking for the Titans and Falcons scouts at the D I-AA championship game in my hometown of Chattanooga. Both teams have drafted a few guys from Montana, which has played their the last 2 years at least.
1eyedJack
April 26th, 2010
9:54 am
I’m willing to bet the house that TD and CMS have watched more tape of and conducted more workouts of the draft elegible players than all of the pundits on the ESPN draft panel combined. I’m sure too that they have watched their own film of games and practices and would know where the problems lie with the Falcons, and would know better how to address them than Kiper, McShay, or Joe Blow.
I mock the NFL Draft analysis
April 26th, 2010
9:58 am
quote from Pittsburgh newspaper on drafting Jon Dwyer, Falcons idiots for not taking him
“The Steelers drafted another wishbone back well into the draft 20 years ago when Barry Foster of Arkansas came to them in the fifth round.
All Foster did was set the Steelers’ record with 1,690 yards rushing in 1992.
“Not often do you find 230-pound halfbacks with his ability with the ball in his hands,” Wilson said.
Dwyer averaged more than 6 yards a carry at Georgia Tech.
“This kid’s broken a lot of long runs,” said Kevin Colbert, the Steelers’ director of football operations. “We think there’s something there we all haven’t seen yet.”
Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10115/1053206-66.stm#ixzz0mDKVc
“
Sid
April 26th, 2010
10:05 am
Please don’t feed the trolls. Your responding to them is how they get off.
TheAntiMe
April 26th, 2010
10:09 am
I’ve never been impressed by Mel Kiper Jr., in the least. I grade him a P for being a preening pretentious pickle-puss poseur.
TommyJack
April 26th, 2010
10:16 am
Not an ESPN hater. But their draft coverage was the most miserably produced event ever on their network. First off, they had way too many guys on the panel. Second off, Berman looked like he would like to be elsewhere. Third off, Steve Young seemingly wanted to mug the camera. Too many egos. Sometimes, less is more.
OMG
April 26th, 2010
10:29 am
Overall….even if it turns out to be an effective draft…the Falcons picks were boring throughout! Guess all the local players from UGA and GT were not thought highly of? The falcons certainly could have traded down several times to get the players they coveted and picked up another pick or two! Allen or Burnett would have been decent additions to a weak secondary and provided some local fans to be happy. Just don’t like the players we got except maybe the Kansas player.
OMG
April 26th, 2010
10:30 am
This draft was more inline with the our drafts from the past when we could count on a good 6 wins or less.
Sid
April 26th, 2010
10:31 am
Coming Soon to a theater near you:
Leroy Banks, TE, Southern Miss, 6-foot-3, 243 pounds: Started his career at Coahoma Junior College.
Tim Buckley, QB, Alcorn State, 6-1, 185: Led the Braves vaunted attack last season.
Rafael Bush, S, South Carolina State, 5-11, 195: Was highly productive for the Bulldogs, making 222 career tackles and scored three touchdowns as a senior.
Gabe Derricks, S, San Diego, 6-3, 202: Started for four years at cornerback in college.
Justin Drescher, LS, Colorado, 6-1, 230: A four-year snapper for the Buffaloes.
Weston Johnson, LB, Wyoming, 6-3, 233: Played outside linebacker and was the team captain last season.
Dimitri Nance, RB, Arizona State, 5-9, 224: He rushed for 795 yards last season, but missed time with a shoulder sprain.
Ryan Wolfe, WR, UNLV, 6-1, 205: He caught more passes than any receiver in the nation over the past four years with 283 career receptions.
Bear Woods, LB, Troy, 6-0, 245: Had to sit out two games last season to appeal his redshirt status with the NCAA.
Dimitroff Supporter
April 26th, 2010
10:33 am
It’s nice not giving a crap what the “Experts” think.
North FLA Falcon
April 26th, 2010
10:41 am
I like Hawley. Another west coast pass blocker, like harvey dahl and hopefully just as nasty. His ability to long-snap also is important. We lost 2 games last year not because of muffed kicks but (in my opinion) because of bad snaps. Hopefully hawley can get the job done. Johnson from Alabama is a beast. Great pick. Also Corey Peters and the UK defensive line consistently beat the Gators talented O-line and gave Timmy T his concussion. If UK had had any offense it actually might have been a game. I like our draft, it should be a good season.
murfdawg
April 26th, 2010
10:48 am
Peter King of SI got 9 out of 32 right on his predictions. What kind of grade does he receive? Next year just predict all the players from fla, bama and okla as 1st rounders and you will probably do better than 9 out of 32.
ATL Fan
April 26th, 2010
10:51 am
Mr. Schultz, Regarding your multi-year grading of drafts, I think you should name it “Are They Who We Thought They Were?”
mountain_jim
April 26th, 2010
10:52 am
cajdawg – You and the rest of you know-it-alls who think TD could have / should have got Peters in round 4 or 5 read this from Peter King MMQB:
love these draft scenarios, in case you hadn’t noticed. Here’s another one: In Cleveland, midway through the third round, the Browns already had addressed cornerback, safety and running back; now they had two more priority positions to fill: defensive tackle and offensive tackle. They had picks 85 and 92. They had their two guys lined up from about the 70th pick on — Kentucky defensive tackle Corey Peters and Arizona State tackle Shawn Lauvao. In the draft room, president Mike Holmgren, GM Tom Heckert and coach Eric Mangini, along with a few of the scouts, monitored the draft. Colt McCoy kept sliding.
“I had talked to Jon Gruden about Colt and he really liked him,” Holmgren told me. “But Tom said we’ve got our plan, we like this defensive lineman and the offensive lineman, and we should go ahead and pick them. I kept saying, ‘What about the quarterback?’ ”
At number 83, two spots before the Browns were going to pick, Atlanta GM Dimitroff picked Peters, the defensive tackle the Browns had in their sights at 85. “Then,” Holmgren said, laughing, “the fates were telling me something. We had to pick him. I said to Tom, ‘Let’s pull the trigger.’ I tried to run this draft the way Ron Wolf used to in Green Bay. Everyone contributed. But I kind of pulled rank a little bit. I said, ‘Let’s do this.”’
Grading Falcons' draft picks, from Roddy (A) to Jimmy (ugh) | Jeff Schultz
April 26th, 2010
10:54 am
[...] in my last post, I explained why grading teams for their draft was a stupid exercise. It takes at least three years, sometimes longer, to get an accurate read 0n how selections panned [...]
mountain_jim
April 26th, 2010
10:55 am
Again for you know-it-all clueless ‘fans’ – “At number 83, two spots before the Browns were going to pick, Atlanta GM Dimitroff picked Peters, the defensive tackle the Browns had in their sights at 85.”
Should have waited until 4th or 5th round, eh? You folks who think you know better make me laugh.
Sid
April 26th, 2010
10:56 am
North FLA Falcon: I know we lost 2 games last year due to the field goal team but I just can’t recall ever feeling like the snap was the problem. My recollection was it was all on Elam, he just went mental on us.
mountain_jim
April 26th, 2010
10:57 am
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/writers/peter_king/04/25/draft/1.html
F-105 Thunderchief
April 26th, 2010
10:57 am
Tony Pauline (girl’s name) writes this on SI.com: “Jonathan Dwyer/Rd 6 No. 188/Pittsburgh: Dwyer’s off-the-field exploits from the combine were well documented prior to the start of the draft. Transgressions aside, he’s a terrific interior ball carrier who produces on the football field and was worth a roll of the dice in round six.”
My question is this: What off-field exploits? I don’t remember Dwyer being anything but a good guy on or off the field. Is this a guy who is confusing the ADD medication thing with Dwyer being a druggie? If so, he needs to be called on it … big time.
ryan
April 26th, 2010
11:09 am
The Falcons could have used Everson Griffen it would have added some debth there also there was Ricky Sapp and they could have drafted Aaron Hernandez TE could have another Dallas Clark.
L.Luciano
April 26th, 2010
11:12 am
Three things:
1) To ” Safety first”: kipers hair hasn’t protected him from a head injury so using it to pad helmets is moot.
2) Falcons did ok – let’s see who they get via trades
3) am I the only one who recognized what Jeff was really talking about here?? His plea for help re: his fettucine Alfredo addiction. Jeff here’s what you’re looking for: http://foodnetwork.mobi/quickPage.html?page=24236&cc=recipeDetails.html%3Frid%3D101105%26tn%3D%26p%3Ds%26s%3D0%26kw%3DFettuccine%2BAlfredo%26rs%3D
Matt "Choke" Ryan
April 26th, 2010
1:04 pm
Dimitroff & Smith are clueless.
Why is that………….
- The Ravens had a rookie coach & qb and made the Championship game?
- The Jets had a rookie coach & qb and made the Championship game?
Hell, even Jim Mora, Jr. took the Falcons to the Championship game in his 1st season.
Dimitroff is all hype and Smith gets more attention from losing his temper and attacking other players.
The bottom line is this:
The Falcons said Mora/McKay/Vick were terrible, yet this franchise hasn’t won a playoff game, played in a championship game or won a division title since Mora/McKay/Vick.
So what does that say about this regime?
We shall see when the Ravens play the Falcons just who is the better qb/coach/gm.
R. Merriweather
April 26th, 2010
2:46 pm
As for me, I actually like the Falcons’ Draft. At first I was like many of you who was completely dumbfounded about some of the picks (i.e. Peters 3rd Round), but after having a chance to analyze and evaluate our team, we’re exactly where we need to be.
On our defensive line, I do believe however that we are putting too much faith in John Abraham staying healthy again for a complete season. Let’s not forget that he is 31 (Will be 32 in May), and has had a career plagued by groin injuries. I look for Kroy Biermann to start opposite of Abraham to begin the season, and for Lawrence Sidbury to replace him in two years when his contract is up. Look for Sidbury and Anderson to be in the rotation to start the season. However, I do like Anderson on Running situations since he is more of a ‘run stopping’ DE compared to Sidbury and Biermann.
In regards to our Defensive Tackle positions, look for Peria Jerry to have a full recovery and an immediate impact this year. His presence in the middle should create more one-on-one situations for John Abraham. The Cory Peters signing was nothing but a mere safety net since it looks as if we will be starting the season without Jonathan Babineaux for the first four games (Off the field issues; Suspension may be looming) But look for Babineaux to have a big year as well. He is in my opinion one of the most underrated and over-looked DT’s in the league. Thomas Johnson and Cory Peters will solidify the rotation. Look for Vance Walker to join the practice squad and Trey Lewis to be cut. (Trey Lewis once showed a lot of promise, but two knee injuries in different knees may be too much for him to overcome)
With the addition of Sean Weatherspoon (If he lives up to expectations), we now have a solid tandem of young linebackers for years to come. I look for Weatherspoon to compete with Mike Peterson for the starting outside linebacker spot. Although I do believe the spot to be won by Peterson (Since Mike Smith tends to be loyal to his former Jaguars players as former Defensive Coordinator), look for Weattherspoon to start by the middle of the season if Mike Peterson continues to be a liability on passing situations. However, I completely expect Weatherspoon to step in as the full time starter next year since Mike Peterson won’t return since his contract will be up. As for those of you who believe that Weatherspoon will be competing with Stephen Nicholas, you have completely lost your minds. Let’s not forget that Nicholas is a promising linebacker out of South Florida who had a solid year last year for a player who started for the first time in his career. Althogh his numbers aren’t too flashy, he still put up a solid year. (80 Tackles, 3 Sacks, 3 Safeties Recorded, 2 Fumble Recoveries & 1 Forced Fumble). Like I said, not too bad for a guy starting for the first time in his career.
Our secondary should be improved drastically, but I’m a strong believer that your secondary is only as good as your pass rush. Hopefully with an improved pass rush this year, look for our secondary to have a better year. The addition of Dunta Robinson should help tremendously. I look for Brian Williams and Christopher Owens to compete for the other starting CB position. However, with strong play by Owens during the final few games of last season, I believe that he will beat Williams out for the starting #2 CB spot. (Only because Williams is coming off of a season-ending ACL injury, and it’s just hard for me to see him regaining his old form at 31 Years Old.) Look for Williams, Grimes, and new incumbent Dominique Franks to all compete for the Nickel Corner spot. Unfortunately, either Grimes or Williams will either move to the #4 CB spot or either be cut.
The Safety position will be the most exciting to watch heading into training camp. Look for Thomas DeCoud to have a break out year this year at the FS position. William Moore and Erik Coleman will battle it out in training camp for the starting SS position. The coaches are extremly high on William Moore and they believe that Moore and DeCoud could eventually give them one of the best young safety tandems in the league. Erik Coleman showed that he was great in coming in the box and stopping the run last season, but was a real liability in pass coverage. Look for Moore to win the starting SS Position over Coleman, and for Coleman to be traded before Pre-Season starts since he still has value at 27 years old. Look for Matt Giordano (Who we signed from Green Bay during the offseason), and our rookie Shan Shillinger to fill out the Depth Chart. Look for Charlie Peprah and Eric Brock to be cut.
This is my analysis of the Falcons’s Defensive Unit and how it will play out and why it was that I feel comfortable with who we drafted. Although we didn’t “light up” the draft board of Todd McShay and Mel Kiper of ESPN with flashy players, we know our needs better than any analyst. So for some idiot analyst to say we didn’t improve our team, obviously should be fired for not looking at our Depth Chart before making such an absurd statement. Where we appear to be weak at going into the draft, we were either very young/developing players last year or we were hurt.
Look for the Falcons to make a strong push into the playoffs this year barring any major injuries to one of our key players, and to have a 2010-2011 Season To Remember.
enz
April 26th, 2010
3:01 pm
Nice one Augusta fan…
I think Meier will prove to be a steal and will have a Finneran-like career. Hopefully Johnson or Hawley can be a center like McClure, not flashingly athletic but just gets the job done day in and out…
enz
April 26th, 2010
3:05 pm
Love all of your analysis Merriweather…You really know your stuff.
R. Merriweather
April 26th, 2010
3:21 pm
Thanks ‘Enz’. Unlike many people who come on here and just speak nonsense, I actually keep up with the Falcons (Extensively). I read everything from rumors, blogs, etc. And that’s what I believe the responsibility of a “True” fan should consist of. Not come one here and speculate. If you are a true fan you should know your team and why it is that they amke the decisions and the moves that they make. That’s why the draft didn’t surprise me that much because I know every situation regarding every player in this year’s draft.
What many people don’y realize either, is that in the 3rd Round of this year’s draft, the Cleveland Browns also had DT Cory Peters on the top of their draft board and were going to take him with the 85th Pick. Because we took him with our 83rd Pick, they therefore took QB Colt McCoy instead. So he wasn’t that much of a reach if a team two spots below us was targeting him as well. That’s just a little inside scoop of what these experts who are paid millions of dollars fail to tell us.
SuperToddLong
April 26th, 2010
8:32 pm
Draft grades make it fun! How can you pick on Mel Kiper and his hair. I get the point of the article, but no draft grades and no Mel….well you can just take Christmas away too while your at it.
Carte projet de rapport: niveleuses obtenir un f, faucons obtenir 3 à 5 ans
April 28th, 2010
1:43 pm
[...] C'est Mel Kiper. Je n'aime pas particulièrement ce qu'il fait, et je n'ai certainement pas comme ses cheveux. Je vais commencer en disant ce qu'est un exercice stupide, il est pour les membres des médias à «grade» NFL équipes rédige un chaque année, et alors j'ai trouvé quelque chose d'écrit par Rob Rang de CBS Sports qui fournit l'analogie parfaite: «Le classement d'un projet immédiatement après qu'il conclut s'apparente à donner vos compliments au chef avant le repas a été servi. Bien sûr, la nourriture peut sembler bonne (ou mauvaise) sur la base des ingrédients énumérés dans le menu, mais l'examen véritable ne peut se faire qu'après le produit a été testé. "Pensez-y. J'ai eu 17.000 plaques de fettucini alfredo dans mon [toujours raccourcissement de la vie]. Parfois, je voulais l'épouser. D'autres fois, je veux l'utiliser comme spackle. Maintenant, je sais que mon corps peut BESOINS fettucini alfredo (aller avec elle). Mais puis-je vraiment me donner un A pour faire le bon choix de fettucini alfredo sur le menu, en particulier lorsque le nom du restaurant est … URL article original: http://blogs.ajc.com/jeff-schultz-blog/2010/04/25/draft-report-card-graders-get-an-f-falcons-get-3-t... [...]
MrHughes
April 28th, 2010
5:13 pm
I haven’t watched ESPN’s draft coverage the last two years. NFLn does a much better job!
Draft grades are a waste of time. That’s like grading your stock portfolio right after you make a trade. Ohh, Enron, a get an A. You can’t effectively grade a draft until you are at least 3-4 years out.
2006
2 5(37) Jimmy Williams S Virginia Tech
3 15(79) Jerious Norwood RB Mississippi St
5 6(139) Quinn Ojinnaka T Syracuse
6 15(184) Adam Jennings WR Fresno State
7 15(223) D.J. Shockley QB Georgia
D- The only player still on the team is Jerious. Injury problems have made him an average pro at best. Everyone else is off the roster or out of the NFL.
2007
1 8 Jamaal Anderson DE 6-5 288 Arkansas from Houston
2a 39 Justin Blalock T/G 6-3 320 Texas from Houston
2b 41 Chris Houston CB 5-9 185 Arkansas from Minnesota
3 75 Laurent Robinson WR 6-2 199 Illinois State
4a 109 Stephen Nicholas LB 6-1 232 South Florida
4b 133 Martrez Milner TE 6-3 252 Georgia Compensatory Selection
6a 185 Trey Lewis DT 6-3 318 Washburn
6b 194 David Irons CB 5-10 190 Auburn from Jacksonville
6c 198 Doug Datish C 6-4 302 Ohio State from Jax, thru Denver
6d 203 Daren Stone S 6-3 218 Maine from Jax, thru Baltimore
7 244 Jason Snelling RB 5-11 230 Virginia Compensatory Selection
C Jason Snelling was a 7th round pick!! Fantastic value!! He’s saves this class. Also, the fact that they got a two starters (Anderson And Nicolas) here saves this draft class.
A.J. Green ranked No. 4 in draft (and Bama's loaded again) | Jeff Schultz
May 6th, 2010
9:44 am
[...] I’ve made it pretty clear in the past that trying to grade NFL drafts immediately after the fact is a useless exercise, akin to reviewing a restaurant based on what’s on the menu. [...]