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The earliest rumor the Falcons were connected to, a trade up for Desmond Trufant, turned out to be the correct one.
The Falcons needed a starting cornerback and were connected to Trufant early on, so this is hardly a surprise. The way the draft shook out meant that Trufant was available in the 20's in a draft where that was anything but certain, and the Falcons felt they had to pull the trigger.
Giving up a third and a sixth to do so isn't bad at all. I know some will argue that Jamar Taylor or even Xavier Rhodes might have made it all the way to 30, but the Falcons clearly had him high on their board and felt he could be something special over the long haul. If all your scouting and hard work tells you that's the truth, you don't hesitate to move up eight damn spots and get your guy.
Trufant is an asset in man coverage, with the ability to make breaks on the ball and swat down or intercept passes. He's plenty physical, too. There'll be a little learning curve for him against NFL receivers, but not a steep one. He's got true #1 cornerback potential, and he's the immediate starter opposite Asante Samuel.
The Falcons now have solved the single biggest problem left on the roster and can afford to add talent on defense in general. I can't wait to see what they do with their second round pick.
Approval poll for the pick coming shortly. In the meantime, weigh in!
Remaining Picks
- Second round: No. 60
- Fourth round: No. 127 and No. 133 (compensatory)
- Fifth round: No. 163
- Seventh round: No. 236, No. 243 (compensatory), No. 244 (compensatory) and No. 249 (compensatory).
Remaining Needs
Defensive end
Linebacker
Offensive line
Tight end
Wide receiver
Returner