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Dan Quinn and Thomas Dimitroff spoke with the media ahead of the 2015 NFL Draft, addressing this year's running back class, the ongoing need at linebacker and what they're looking for in their draft picks.
As you might expect, there wasn't anything earth-shattering here, but the duo did address some of the things they're looking for in the draft, and that's what we'll focus on here. There was also one interesting comment about moving around in the draft, so we'll start with that.
Dimitroff said ``eighth-overall pick or earlier'' in his last statement. Interesting.
— vaughn mcclure (@vxmcclure23) April 24, 2015
Every year, we want to know if the Falcons are going to move out of their draft slot. This is a little bit of tea leaf reading by McClure, yes, but it's noteworthy when the team mentions anything that indicates a willingness to move. Dimitroff also spoke about keeping options open, as he always does, but my gut says they stand pat.
The two spent some time discussing character and confirmed it's still an important part of the evaluation process
DQ says when reviewing tape, level of competition is a factor, but they're primarily looking for speed/fit with Falcons.
— Jeanna (@jeannathomas) April 24, 2015
TD says there are certain metrics that matter more than others, but tape takes precedence in evaluation.
— Jeanna (@jeannathomas) April 24, 2015
Specifically, Quinn alluded to the Falcons not focusing on just production in college or conference. That's an obvious and ideal approach, but you always want to hear your head coach talk about keeping the focus broad when the team is evaluating potential draft picks. Dimitroff's comments tell you that the team is not going to be seduced by a good combine, which we all hope is true.
Dimitroff talks about a "really good group of guys" in the 3rd-5th rounds at RB. Look for the #Falcons to make an RB pick in that range.
— The Falcoholic (@TheFalcoholic) April 24, 2015
This strengthens my suspicions about this range, obviously. Dimitroff mentioned the first and second round guys and then had some glowing words for the middle round players, and that feels like the Falcons' ideal range. There are a lot of surprises on draft day, so don't set this one in stone, but it's pretty clear the Falcons aren't going to stand pat at the position.
Quinn said LB still a position to address in the draft despite the free-agent additions.
— vaughn mcclure (@vxmcclure23) April 24, 2015
This one is interesting. The Falcons have a ton of linebackers on the roster at the moment and already added both Brooks Reed and Justin Durant as potential starters, so chances are you're going to see a lot of linebackers purged in August. The Falcons could very well make an athletic linebacker addition a priority in the first few rounds of the draft as they try to rebuild the position.
Dimitroff says best thing about working w/ Quinn is that he looks what players can do, not what they can't. Believes this is key to success
— Craig Sager II (@CraigSagerJr) April 24, 2015
I just included this one for the warm and fuzzy value.
What did you hear that was interesting?