My number came back up in the SBNation Mock Draft, and I wrestled with a couple of options. At first I thought "best player available", then I thought "need". And in the end, knowing the direction the draft is likely to take and knowing we needed to restock our offensive line, I selected a combination of those two factors.
With the #39 pick, The Falcoholic select Arkansas OT Tony Ugoh.
At 6-5 and 305 pounds, he may not stick at tackle. He needs to definitely add some bulk if he's going to stick, and I know I'm going to get yelled at for not selecting some hulking mammoth of a guy. But Ugoh is an excellent prospect with a good chance to start within the next two years. I think the main question with him is less can he? than will he? Scouts think desire is his main obstacle, as he apparently concentrated more on track and field than football until his senior year. The important thing is that he's perfectly capable of being a good lineman for us. In fact, I'm willing to agree with scouts in that if the Falcons put 15 pounds on his frame and move him inside, he'll be the kind of force at guard that the Falcons could sorely use as they rebuild their line. Character concerns rarely, well, concern me when it comes to "desire". An NFL paycheck and some work should fix his weight a little, and all his fundamentals are solid to excellent in my opinion. My bank is that he ends up at guard, but I could also see him staying at tackle if he really impresses the team.
Thoughts?
And as always, head over to Field Gulls for full coverage on the first round...and beyond!