Ladies and gentlemen, the second pick of your 2009 Falcoholic Mock Draft is South Carolina tight end Jared Cook.
He won by a full three votes over safety Patrick Chung by the time voting had closed, and I know there was a lot of rumbling and grumbling about his possible selection in the second round. All I ask is that you put corks on the tips of your pitchforks and douse your torches in water, as the pick has been made. If you'd like to nominate (realistic) choices in the third round to fill other positions of need, now'd be a good time.
But what does Cook offer us? For starters, you'll want to look at our South Carolina blog, Garnet And Black Attack, who has seen the guy play. I'll be asking him for a scouting report as soon as possible. He's a very talented receiver with no proven blocking ability, according to Mocking the Draft. While Peelle offers pass-catching ability and a little blocking, Cook quite simply has the hands and speed to be a dominant pass catcher and another great weapon for Matt Ryan. In a scheme that demands at least a little bit of blocking talent, though, he'd be no sure thing for at least a full season.
Cook is widely projected to go anywhere from the late second to fourth round, so depending on your own opinion this could range from slightly ahead of expectations to a huge reach. Either way, feel free to weigh in on our second pick and nominate away for round three!
Round 1: USC LB Brian Cushing