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I'm fairly sure Mr. T could take Tyler Starr in a battle to the death, though it'd depend on their weapons of choice (Starr is unstoppable with a bo staff). As 7th round draft picks go, Starr is the bee's knees. He's just one of four linebackers the Falcons drafted, as they clearly tried to send a message. We get it, Comrade, you're sick of the lack of linebacking depth.
In a 3-4 formation, any of the following players on the Falcons' roster could find themselves playing linebacker:
Outside Linebacker
Tyler Starr
Osi Umenyiora
Jonathan Massaquoi
Stansley Maponga
Kroy Biermann
Jacques Smith (UDFA)
Prince Shembo
Walker May (UDFA)
Outside/Inside Linebacker
Marquis Spruill
Sean Weatherspoon
Joplo Bartu
Inside Linebacker
Yawin Smallwood
Paul Worrilow
Akeem Dent
Brenden Daley (UDFA)
There's a wealth of talent here. How this depth chart shakes out is anyone's guess. If anything, a rotational approach seems likely. The Falcons will want to keep guys fresh and get everyone involved. I'm guessing somewhere, in a dimly lit room, Mike Nolan is sitting in front of a white board, staring at these names, with a cigar and two thumbs of scotch in hand. Pondering. Just pondering.
So what say you? How does this all shake out? Discuss!