Bradley’s Buzz: SI sees the Falcons taking a Boise cornerback
Another day, another mock draft. This one comes from Don Banks of SI.com, and his is noteworthy because it doesn’t have the Falcons taking a pass rusher with the 19th overall pick. (Which, as noted previously, the Falcons don’t yet own — there’s a coin flip with Houston upcoming in February.)
No, Banks has the Falcons taking a cornerback. And not just any cornerback. A cornerback from Boise State. His name: Kyle Wilson. Banks’ rationale:
“The search for the draft’s No. 2-rated cornerback behind Florida’s Joe Haden at this week’s Senior Bowl turned up a surprising name, that of the former Bronco defensive back, Wilson. He has blanketed receivers on behalf of the North squad, and has made play after play on the ball. There’s no team that needs cornerback help more than Atlanta, and look for Wilson to continue to climb up teams’ draft boards.”
Cross-reference time: ESPN.com’s Scouts Inc. has Wilson ranked fourth among cornerbacks and 38th overall (link requires registration), which means he’d be a reach at No. 19. But both Mel Kiper and Todd McShay of the Worldwide Leader have commented favorably on Wilson this week, according to Chad Cripe of the Idaho Statesman.
And then there’s the RV factor. Reports Mike Herndon in the Mobile Press-Register:
“A blue-and-orange bus sat in the Ladd-Peebles Stadium parking lot as the North squad practiced Wednesday morning, bearing the name and larger-than-life likeness of Boise State cornerback Kyle Wilson.
“Wilson[5-foot-10, 186 pounds], a native of Piscataway, N.J., said the bus is owned by his older brother, Jerry Wilson, a former player at Princeton.
” ‘He drove it to all my games this last year,’ said Wilson, who admitted to being surprised when he first saw the bus. ‘My brother goes all out for me. He’s my No. 1 supporter. He’s always there for me, whatever I need, any advice, any help. He just wanted to show support and he made it fun traveling to all my games this year for my family.’ “
I’ve mentioned it before, but here it is again: If I had to guess today — and I don’t, but I will anyway — I’d say the Falcons will take a defensive end in Round 1 and wait for Round 3 to snag a cornerback. But Thomas Dimitroff is known in the industry as a keen judge of defensive backs, and he might just have been impressed by Wilson in Mobile this week.
And if Wilson’s workouts and the RV aren’t enough to turn heads, there’s always this Web site — Kdub1.com. It contains this admonition: “Receivers beware. Quarterbacks beware. Special teams’ defenses beware. [Wilson also returned kicks.] #1 is gunning for you.”
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133 comments Add your comment
Sonny Clusters
January 29th, 2010
9:42 am
Being a tall and handsome ballplayer has always worked for us. Tall players can reach over the wall and make a catch. Tall players can wave they arms in the air and knock down passes. Tall players can look down on short little players and intimidate them. Being a tall player has always suited us fine. Getting a little bitty cornerback to cover a tall receiver can be risky if the quarterback is going to throw the ball high in the air. Sometimes a team will have a receiver nobody wants to cover. That’s called the Wintes Factor.
NCBravesFAN
January 29th, 2010
9:43 am
Hey Sonny, has the AJC ever contacted you about your own blog? I would pay to join in!
SirReal
January 29th, 2010
9:44 am
Mark, do you think we’d really do get a corner before a DE? I think CB is more pressing as we have potential pass rushers in Biermann and Sidbury. What happened to the 4-3/ 3-4 hybrid they were talking about last year? Injuries kill that idea? I think in a 3-4, sidbury or biermann could be look Dumervil for DEN….then again we STILL have BVG as D-Coord….
Manny
January 29th, 2010
9:44 am
I would get a D-lineman (possibly a DE.) John Abraham isn’t going to last long.
1eyedJack
January 29th, 2010
9:44 am
I think we should do our NFL shopping by the pound. A 5′10″ cornerback at first round money would be like buying prime rib, but now, a big ol’ bubba at first round money…now that’s meatloaf money!! There might even be leftovers.
Seriously, the Birds have a terrible history with Cornerbacks in the first round, except maybe Deion, who bolted the first chance he got…or Bobby Butler.
Sonny Clusters
January 29th, 2010
9:48 am
NCBravesFAN, we was once a journalist but now we just like to blog with Mark. If we did sign on with the AJC we’d want an office in Dunwoody and a Royal typewriter or maybe a Smith Corona like Furman Bisher. We’d also want a window facing the Dairy Queen.
Manny
January 29th, 2010
9:49 am
This is my formula: You sign free agents for right now. You draft for the future.
Sonny Clusters
January 29th, 2010
9:50 am
We made the acquaintance of Dave Kindred and he told us he was ink stained. That’s not the same as a tattoo. It has something to do with newspapers.
NCclustersFAN
January 29th, 2010
9:50 am
Just wanted to let you know Sonny…We are all fans! Maybe one day we will see a bus with a big picture of you and your peanut buster parfait painted on the side of it, driving down I-20 towards the big game! We can all dream cant we…
Not only would a pass rush...
January 29th, 2010
9:52 am
…help the DB’s, it would freakin’ help if the DB’s would ever LOOK for the ball after it is thrown.
Maybe the new DB coach will teach this little piece to the DB’s – kinda like punt blockers going DOWN ON THE FOOT OF THE PUNTER, rather then jumping up in the freakin’ air, and drawing nothing but air. If I see one more guy miss a block (in college or pros) grrrrrrrrr….
PMC
January 29th, 2010
9:53 am
Honestly, unless he is Revis drafting a CB in the first is a waste for this team. Pass Rush is what really killed them on defense. I’d rather see them go DE or OLB if one is available over CB then hope to trade back into the second and get Kyle Wilson if he’s there.
My pick in the first round for value would still be Left Tackle. They need to upgrade big time at one of the most important positions on offense.
I don’t think they are as bad as everyone else thinks at CB especially if they can keep Brian Williams or find another quality veteran corner.
Left Tackle I think is probably the best value they could find there to help them next year and beyond. Outside Linebacker or DE is next.
1eyedJack
January 29th, 2010
9:55 am
Sonny with a Caramel Clusters Blizzard and a big grin.
Sonny Clusters
January 29th, 2010
10:08 am
Only two more days for the featured Turtle Pecan Clusters Blizzard of the Month.
suwaneedawg
January 29th, 2010
10:12 am
Could we take a corner in the first round and get a DE through free agency? Or visa-versa? Just wondering.
Dawgie Bowser
January 29th, 2010
10:17 am
I’m thinking about writing something controversial that will still some folks up. Anybody got any ideas?
Dawgie Bowser
January 29th, 2010
10:17 am
Stir. sorry
PreyDawg
January 29th, 2010
10:18 am
Sonny is a classic. I love this guy. But dont worry Sonny, not like that. I mean in a very brotherly macho kind of way. By the way. I was a 105 pound left Guard on a powerhouse Ga. High School team that won one game in three seasons, so I know a thing or two about intimidating little players too.
Sonny Clusters
January 29th, 2010
10:18 am
You can’t look at a Clusters baby and tell what position he will play but you know he will be a ballplayer and you know he will be smart. When we was born they thought we’d mostly pitch but that was before they saw us hit and they realized we needed to be an every day player. So, we ended up playing shortstop and some center field and pitching, too. Coach said we was versatile and we always thought so, too, because rugged good looks is what the girls like. That and the long ball. We was always going yard and sometimes they would not be able to find the ball since we hit it so hard. They was some other good players on our team, too, but they was egotistical.
NCfalconsFAN
January 29th, 2010
10:19 am
I think TD will attempt to draft corner instead of signing a FA or trading for one but with that being said I dont think he will go 1st rd DB. D line OT with first rd or he could trade back and get 2 or 3 later round picks. Oh how I wish one of the Tech boys would make it on the team!
Bigstack O' Pancakes. It is an Irish name.
January 29th, 2010
10:22 am
68th! Any defensive help will suit me.
Please read Speaker
January 29th, 2010
10:24 am
Speaker…read the article about the RV first before you post. Reading is fundamental.
Boise Dawg
January 29th, 2010
10:26 am
Personally I am not sold on Wilson. Glad to hear he is having such a great Senior Bowl, but his play was inconsistent this past year. As a defensive unit, BSU was much more stout against the run… don’t get me wrong, Wilson was a star on this team, but I just didn’t see a first round pick during the season.
Sonny Clusters
January 29th, 2010
10:35 am
Legend has it that we threw that little blue nose aspirator across the room when we was born and it landed right in the spot we was aiming. They had us checked out for being possessed but decided we just had a good arm and uncanny control for a baby our size. We also had a good breaking aspirator but that developed a few days later. When we was playing ball all the practice as a baby was very helpful.
Clusters' baby mama
January 29th, 2010
10:38 am
Yeah, a Clusters will be a player all right. Where’s my child support check, Sonny?
Mama Clusters
January 29th, 2010
10:38 am
You leave my Sonny along, you gold digging hussy.
French Feller
January 29th, 2010
10:40 am
A big orange R.V. with the picture of a tatooed up feller on the side of it. Some fellers have all the style don’t they?
Curt
January 29th, 2010
10:40 am
Mark,
I would say that a wild card in the revamping of the Falcons secondary is with the coaching staff. It has been clear that the Falcons corners lacked some fundamentals in their collective coverage ability and that could be one of the reasons that the overall secondary was so bad. With the release of Emmitt Thomas, the new secondary coach must evaluate the talent and determine if their problems are lack of ability or lack of proper training. This would and should dictate if the Falcons draft a corner and where in the draft they do so.
In my opinion, the Falcons are much more in need of a pass rushing DE and coverage type linebacker. It appeared to me that while they did give up some long pass plays, they Falcons were more often burned by lack of pass rush and by TE and running backs catching the intermediate pass which is typically covered by a linebacker or DE.
Mike Jay
January 29th, 2010
10:41 am
Manny,
Actually in today’s NFL with the amount draft picks get paid (especially in the first few rounds) They have to contribute right away. Limited roster space + Salary caps dictate this. However, ‘projects’ can still be taken in the late draft still.
Bangkapi Ajarn
January 29th, 2010
11:07 am
Mark, I agree that cornerback may well not be a first round choice for TD, he invested quite a bit in cb’s last year and they have yet had the opportunity to develop or not. Depending on free agency pluses or minuses and if he gets 3 or 4 compensatory picks, he may well look at DL or LB for the first pick depending on who is available at 19 or 20.
My question, Mark – I have seen Mount Cody slip to the late first round area in several mocks, past the Falcons, yet I haven’t yet seen anyone pick him for the Falcons. Perhaps because of Jeria last year, perhaps he isn’t considered a rushing end. HOWEVER, he does put pressure on passers, and teamed with Jeria in a 4-3 in run/short yardage / goal line stand situations they would be stout. They would also definitely put pressure on passers, tie up blockers so Sidbury or whoever could get to qb’s – and even get some sacks on their own. He would also be insurance/plan B if Jeria turns out to be injury prone every year, or doesn’t workout for some reason. He could replace Anderson as he had been moved inside last year some, and if Anderson gets a free agent deal somewhere he could bring a comp draft pick in a year, win-win.
What are your thoughts, Mark? Would TD consider Cody to firm up the Defensive Line?
mikie g.
January 29th, 2010
11:11 am
the boy from Clemson ? i have never seen anyone accelerate around the corner like him. if he is available then he should be the one.
Bank Walker, Texas Ranger
January 29th, 2010
11:14 am
Tall Corner is an oxymoron
Diamond Dog's Parole Officer
January 29th, 2010
11:23 am
Isn’t it ironic that UGA fans quanitfy their current existence by beating Tech in football?
Why???
That’s right, becuase they’ve won the SEC 2 times in 28 years.
Ridonkulous
Dawg 3/20
January 29th, 2010
11:44 am
Joe Haden or any other Gator does not want to play for the Falcons, they see the Dawg “faithful” leaving the stadium when there team still has an outside shot of winning and they have seen how they treat their campus on game day so they believe Falcons fans aren’t that different.
De' truth
January 29th, 2010
11:44 am
I must have stumbled in to the Sonny Clusters Show. Can anyone tell me how I get to the Mark Bradley blog?
Shouldnt New Orleans...
January 29th, 2010
11:47 am
be America’s team? I mean after Katrina they sent all their murderers, covicts, and homeless to infect Atlanta, Houston, New York and more…:D
Falcons, go offense-GO OLE MISS!
Dr. Kenneth Noisewater
January 29th, 2010
11:51 am
dang sonny, now i want DQ. back to the blog, FALCONS MUST DRAFT A DB!! let’s just pray he’s not injury prone like our last year’s picks. no one under 5′10″ as well please TD.
Stirg d'Nahsif
January 29th, 2010
11:53 am
Mr. Bradley, riddle me this: Why are you so adamant about drafting a defensive end? I challenge you to present three defensive ends, in NFL history, that successfully made an impact the first year of a football team (I define “impact” as a sack per-game, game-changer, pro-bowl material, playoff contenders). I’ll even help you with this challenge; I’ll give you John Abraham and Jevon Kearse. The point I’m trying to make is that it takes a long time (3years+) for a defensive end to develop and master the craft of rushing. Considering that fans live for “the right now”, I don’t think that there is a defensive end, in this year’s draft, that would immediately change the scenario of our problems with rushing the passer. I would agree, however, that a good pass rush is necessary for a defensive team to be successful; but if we can add a push up the middle (a Vince Wilfork type), then that would make our defensive ends, now, look like pro-bowlers. Shop free agency for a Vince Wilfork and/or a Richard Seymour and you have instantly placed our defense in the top ten (possibly five) of the NFL. Imagine a starting lineup on the defensive line with Abraham, Wilfork, Babs and Seymour. Now imagine a rotation with Biermann, Jerry, Anderson and Sidbury. With that personnel, it wouldn’t matter who is playing cornerback. Hell, you and D.O.’better, with Jeff Shultz at nickel, can cover receivers with that lineup. Again, shop free agency to beef up our line and settle for the future with our current, young, players (Jerry, Biermann, Sidbury and others). Then draft for the back seven, to coincide with the youngsters we have back there now (see Atlanta Hawks). I like Witherspoon (I love Witherspoon); I like Sergio Kindle; I like Patrick Robinson; and I love Kyle Wilson. Either of those players will satisfy our defense and immediately start. There is not one defensive end on the draft board that will start for our team next year.
And for the critics who suggest that 6′0″-under is too short to play cornerback in this league, think rationally. The taller you are, the more difficult it would be to turn your hips. Tall cornerbacks are ideal for shut-down coverage; but Coach Smith’s (and BVG) scheme is zone coverage. We need corners that can read and react…not just shutdown. Kyle Wilson is probably the best corner on the board, after Haden, and should be a strong consideration for our number one pick.
Buddy Curry made every tackle
January 29th, 2010
11:57 am
If Brent Grimes starts 16 games, he will have 10 picks. Can anyone argue with that statement? We are going to draft an OLB that will have an immediate impact on our pass rush. Grimes is a good cornerback that could be great with a passrush.
Sonny Clusters
January 29th, 2010
12:01 pm
Sometimes Mark just leaves us here to blog when he is in high-level meetings like we was in yesterday. If we was making some people uncomfortable with our posts, we can blog like some others on here and try to fit in. Here goes: “Your hear to blog about Georgia football and the pre-season poles, arent you?” Whoa! We could not resist doing that. We was always friends with a lot of Georgia people and we did not know they was bad spellers. At Clemson if you can’t spell you can’t get in.
T
January 29th, 2010
12:01 pm
Are they looking in the draft for a WR or do you think TD will look at free agency? They need a good 2nd guy for White
Dominique Wilkins
January 29th, 2010
12:06 pm
Benjamin needs a heat check, Bob.
Matt Ryan
January 29th, 2010
12:08 pm
Can we draft a real QB to run this team, I think the other teams have figured me out now.
Dr. Warren
January 29th, 2010
12:23 pm
Sonny Clusters, have you considered my suggestion about coming to China? There are plenty of DQ’s here in Shanghai–and aside from Green Tea Blizzards, which are better for your heart, they even have one called “Georgia Mud.” The girls at the counter love a southern accent, especially if you can do it in Mandarin.
frontofficedorks wake up.
January 29th, 2010
12:26 pm
no more midget corners!!!!!!!!!!these guys are a dime a dozen, read, chris Houston, tye hill and the rest of the mini corners who we have drafted or acquired and regretted,… waste the pick on a aggressive linebacker or defensive end that will cause havoc in the backfield…then the midget corners can go for the pick when the ball is underthrown.
Thomas Anthony "The Taxman Cometh" Jones, SR
January 29th, 2010
12:28 pm
Take a defensive end to rush the QB!
Thomas Anthony "The Taxman Cometh" Jones, SR
January 29th, 2010
12:28 pm
Take a rush end to rush the QB and that will make our dbs look better!
O'Brien
January 29th, 2010
12:32 pm
Mark,
If CJ Spiller somehow falls to #19 or 20, do you think the Falcons WOULD take him?
And do you think the Falcons SHOULD take him?
I’ll hang up on listen.
Sonny Clusters
January 29th, 2010
12:36 pm
Dr Warren we saw China on television but that’s all. We might come over for a visit, though, if they’s plenty of Dairy Queens around. Somebody we know went to New York not thinking about there being no Dairy Queens around. Now, he’s miserable. The good thing about a Dilly Bar is you can take it home and put it in the freezer and enjoy it later.
gary baxter
January 29th, 2010
12:40 pm
strig
did you ever hear of reggie white, claude humphry, ed too tall jones, deacon jones?
Ken Strickland
January 29th, 2010
12:46 pm
I seriously doubt if you’ll find on any other blogs, as many negative, closed minded, football illiterate fans as you’ll find on Falcons blogs. Kyle Widson is listed at 5′10″ and some clown immediately fantasizes about him being only 5′9″ just to justify his need to b!tch.
How stupid does one have to be to think that being 6′ or taller automatically makes one a much better and more effective CB? The fact that we saw a drastic improvement in our CB play down the stretch doesn’t seem to register with these know nothings. Our 2 so called dwarf or undersized CB’s performed better down the stretch than any 2 CB’s in the NFL, and it wasn’t because they suddenly got taller, people without a clue. It was because they finally started getting help from the DL.
They were getting INT’s in bunches and their alledged lack of height didn’t seem to give the bigger WR’s any advantage over them as they started snatching one INT after another while defending against taller and larger WR’s.
FJR-excellent example of what we’re talking about, but it will probably go right over the heads of some of our lesser minded fans who think that just signing a CB that’s 6′ or taller is all that’s required. You left another so called dwarf or undersized Probowl CB off your list, the Vikings 5′9″ Antonio Wingate.
The size of a CB is increased or reduced proportionally by the magnitude of the pass rush in front of him. Personally, I think the decision not to retain Emmit Thomas was an indication of TD and Smitty’s reaction to his inability to develop and/or correct what they felt were correctable flaws in our existing CB’s. If there’s no DE or LB available that they feel can help our pass rush, then they’ll likely take another CB. However, at this point, the key to our entire DEF is based on our ability to successfully rush the passer, period.
I would like to see us draft a potential pass rusher with our 19th/20th pick, and trade a future pick, or possible combination of future picks, to move into the lower 1st rd and get the CB we want. After all, this team has more than enough young talent, especially at the OFF/DEF skill positions, not to need a 1st or 2nd rd pick in the next yr or two to remain effective.