New Atlanta Falcons: CB Wilrey Fontenot III

Via vmedia.rivals.com

After examining TE Keith Zinger, our thoughts not turn to the man who directly preceded him in the magical land of the Falcons' draft. Time to examine the pros, cons and likely role for Arizona CB Wilrey Fontenot, after the jump.

History: Started the better part of four years in Arizona's secondary and saw limited work in the return game for the Wildcats. Fontenot once led the secondary in tackles and passes defensed. Said to enjoy video games and music , making his interests compatible with many Falcons fans. Was also a high school track star. His real name is Wilrey Fontenot III, which is awesomely pretentious sounding. Played opposite highly regarded and highly drafted corner Antoine Cason.

Pros: Fontenot is fast. and aggressive. At Arizona, he started most of the games in his career, played almost every down and tackled well, suggesting that he has excellent durability for a corner. His aggression could mean he tips or intercepts quite a few balls thrown in his direction, especially if he's called on during nickel and dime packages. Scouts think he can keep up with most receivers.

Cons: Many think he's too little to to muscle up on bigger receivers or tight ends. That also could be a concern during rushing situations, where Fontenot could simply be bowled over. He was a four year starter who put up mostly average numbers, so his upside may be pretty small. It's also unknown how much he'll factor into the return game, since he had limited experience there.

Role: Fontenot has some competition for a roster spot, so it's difficult to say what his role will be. There are five corners on the roster currently (including third round pick Chevis Jackson) who have a good chance of making it. Fontenot is likely battling Brent Grimes for the last spot, and his speed could be an asset in nickel and dime packages. He likely won't be called upon to match up on the bigger guys. I'd give his chances of making the roster somewhere between 40 and 50%.

Final Thoughts: Fontenot is likely to be nothing more than a special teams player and possibly dime back if he makes the roster, with a chance to develop into a steady nickel back in the future. This was a solid enough pick by the new regime so late in the draft, but his role definitely isn't clear yet.