The safety position might be evolving, and it might be happening sooner than you think.
Today's tight ends are former basketball player or just the offspring of giants, going 6'5" and above and generally attaining ridiculous size. The days of 5'10" safeties trying to cover those guys are fading, and the Falcons do have a little size to deal with it (Thomas DeCoud is 6'2", William Moore is 6'). But they don't have
Enter George Iloka. A towering 6'4" and 225 pounds, Iloka played free safety for Boise State and played it well, putting up four picks and 60+ tackles as a senior in 2011. As a senior with size, the ability to ball so hard and the potential to be an impact player at safety, he makes a lot of sense for the Falcons. They could use a guy who has excellent coverage instincts and can hang with hulking tight ends out there.
Of course, they are problems with that. The Falcons did just sign DeCoud to an affordable albeit starter's contract,albeit one that wouldn't be unreasonable if he was the top backup at safety. And there's the small fact that Iloka seems likely to go in the second round, which means the Falcons would have to use their second round pick to get him. He may not even be there if a safety-hungry team goes after him.
Still, if the Falcons find themselves staring at Iloka as one of the better players on the board late in the second round, they may well go for it. Do you agree?