FanPost

Mock drafts...

So with the combine fast approaching, mock drafts are becoming quite popular. I am guilty of making quite a few myself. For this discussion, I am going to focus solely on the Falcons and the different possibilities for the upcoming draft. There is at least one important event that can occur that can greatly affect who the Falcons target in the draft, and what order we select them. Here are a few different scenarios that are affected by these changes. Note: I am not taking potential trades into account.

Mock Draft A: This assumes the Falcons re-sign Clabo and a guard and let a majority of the older and injury prone players walk

Round 1- Torrey Smith WR Maryland 6-1 205

Round 2- Sam Acho DE Texas 6-2 257

Round 3- Stephen Schilling OG Michigan 6-4 302

Round 4- Derrick Locke RB Kentucky 5-8 186

Round 5- Doug Hogue OLB Syracuse 6-3 235

Round 6- Ryan Jones CB Northwest Missouri State 5-11 197

Round 7a- De-Jon Gomes SS Nebraska 5-11 200

Round 7b- Jerrod Johnson QB Texas A&M 6-5 250

In this scenario, we opt to grab a speedy receiver in the first. We get one of my favorite players in Sam Acho. Schilling is a versatile lineman who provides great depth. Locke could be the weapon we are missing on offense. Hogue provides solid experience and depth at OLB. Jones is a bigger corner who could become a great nickel back in my opinion. Gomes will fight Schillinger for a roster spot and special teams play. Johnson is a guy I really liked at A&M who fell out of favor with the coaching staff. He lost his starting spot, so now he has everything to prove. I say give him a shot

Mock Draft B: Same assumptions as the last draft.

Round 1- Kyle Rudolph TE Notre Dame 6-6 265

Round 2- Sam Acho DE Texas 6-2 257

Round 3- Mark Herzlich OLB Boston College 6-4 250

Round 4- Derrick Locke RB Kentucky 5-8 186

Round 5- Cecil Shorts III WR Mount Union 6-0 200

Round 6- Willie Smith OT East Carolina 6-5 305

Round 7a- Cortez Allen CB Citadel 6-2 197

Round 7b- Zac Etheridge SS Auburn 6-0 201

In this scenario, we go for Rudolph in the first. I think we go big for TE in the first round, or we put it off until next year. There is a huge gap between Rudolph and the others IMO. You will notice I have Acho and Locke again. What can I say, those are two of my favorite targets for this year. Herzlich is a phenomenal person, a great leader, and I think he will be a special player at the next level. Shorts III comes from a smaller school with a good combination of size and speed. I can think of a few other receivers from small schools who did well in the NFL. Smith is a project who can learn for a few years. Allen is a big corner who, again, could be great in the nickel. Etheridge was good at Auburn and I think he has the drive to become a solid player in the NFL.

Mock Draft C- Again, same assumptions.

Round 1- Ryan Kerrigan DE Purdue 6-4 255

Round 2- Jerrel Jernigan WR Troy 5-9 190

Round 3- Jordan Todman RB Connecticut 5-9 195

Round 4- Clint Boling OG Georgia 6-5 310

Round 5- Mario Butler CB Georgia Tech 6-1 183

Round 6- TJ Yates QB North Carolina 6-4 221

Round 7a- Dom DeCicco SS Pittsburgh 6-3 232

Round 7b- Quentin Davie OLB Northwestern 6-4 238

This was definitely to appease the lovers of Ryan Kerrigan. We get a top DE, a deep-threat WR, a scat back, a lot of hometown flavor, and a few guys to provide good depth. I feel like this one might get a lot of love from a lot of the readers, but I hate this draft. Kerrigan eliminates the need for Acho. After addressing the needs of a defensive playmaker, we get playmakers at WR and RB. We get three players with Georgia ties. This is too “feel-good” for most to be conceivably true.

Mock Draft D- This draft assumes we lose Clabo

Round 1- Gabe Carimi OT Wisconsin 6-7 315

Round 2- Sam Acho DE Texas 6-2 257

Round 3- Joseph Barksdale OT LSU 6-5 336

Round 4- Derrick Locke RB Kentucky 5-8 186

Round 5- Edmund Gates WR Abilene Christian 6-0 189

Round 6- Eugene Clifford SS Tennessee State 6-1 204

Round 7a- Chris White ILB Mississippi St 6-3 244

Round 7b- Josh Gatlin CB North Dakota State 6-0 195

If we lose Clabo, OT becomes the immediate first need. Carimi steps in and becomes the big mean guy who will be starting at right tackle. Barksdale is also drafted early as he can provide depth at tackle and could be big enough to play guard if needed. Sam Acho falls into our lap again in the second. The same goes for Locke in the fourth round. Gates could be good. Let’s see how he does against the big boys. Clifford is a potential diamond in the rough. White is apparently a Falcons target (according to one of our counterparts to the west) and his stock has dropped recently. He could provide good value this late. Gatlin needs some experience against better competition but he could also be a great find.

So, what say you? Am I obsessed with making sure Sam Acho and Derrick Locke become part of the Falcons? Did each draft address the needs of our team, and if not, who would you rather see selected? Finally, and this is most important, let me know which draft you liked the best. I know we will never come to a consensus (it’s like picking the best type of beer at Taco Mac), but maybe we will witness a few new suggestions or a different opinion as far as players go. Regardless, may the debate begin!

<em>This FanPost was written by one of The Falcoholic's talented readers. It does not necessarily reflect the views of The Falcoholic.</em>