A Potential Atlanta Falcons Draft Pick: Mitchell Schwartz

This one just came up today, so I thought it would be time to tackle it. Because he's a tackle, you see.

Mitchell Schwartz is gaining some ground as a potential Falcons pick in the second round, which is surprising for a few different reasons.The first is that he's widely expected to go in the third round. The second is that he profiles as more of a right tackle in the pros, and the Falcons don't really need another right tackle.

Neither of these are killers. For starters, the Falcons have made no qualms about getting the guy they want when they want him in the past, and so they could easily pick Schwartz in the second. Many scouts were also impressed by the way Schwartz handled edge rushers during the Senior Bowl and he did see serious time there in college, so it's not like it would be totally crazy to draft him to play there. His brother, Geoff Schwartz, also has been a damn fine blocker for the Carolina Panthers.

The problem with Schwartz is that he has an injury history which makes me a bit wary of him. The other problem is that he has the dreaded short arms. While I don't necessarily believe arm length is the determining factor for success at the NFL level, a combination of back injuries, T. Rex arms and questions about pedigree at left tackle make me think of Sam Baker. For obvious reasons, that's less than ideal.

It's fair to say that I have mixed feelings about Schwartz, then. The Falcons could use an upgrade at left tackle badly, but the question for me is whether Schwartz would be that upgrade or just another guy to add to the tackle rotation. If it's the latter, it would be a spectacular waste of a second round pick.

Weigh in on Schwartz, if you would.