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Well, we told you a few more of these Falcons draft workouts would start to filter through even after the deadline to host them.
Here’s one with a promising defensive tackle prospect.
Final tally on Fort Hays State DT Nathan Shepherd's pre-draft tour: 10 facility visits, 9 private workouts. #Cowboys, #Falcons, #Cardinals did both, source said. #Bears set up a visit late. Lot of eyes on potential top-50 pick.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) April 19, 2018
DT Nathan Shepherd may hail from a small school, but he’s been getting plenty of recognition from draft heads throughout the process.
Our Kevin Knight profiled Shepherd before the combine, and offered these thoughts.
Someone who was practically invisible before the Senior Bowl, Shepherd dominated his competition in Mobile and turned a lot of heads in doing so. Coming from Division II means a lengthy developmental process and adjustment period, but Shepherd has the look of a high-level athlete at DT that can win with his hands too. He’s clearly a 1-2 year project, but Shepherd could end up as one of the best DTs in this class over time. I’m intrigued by him and would consider pulling the trigger on Day 2.
Guys like Shepherd have the athletic traits and potential that teams love to draft and mold, so he’s likely to be on plenty teams’ radars. It’s no surprise Atlanta wanted to get a visit and private workout in and see what he could show.
The Falcons’ plan at defensive tackle remains a mystery, though we know they’ve looked at most of the big names on the upcoming slate of potential picks. They could take their first defensive tackle at any point of the first four rounds, and maybe even double-dip.
Will they get a guy like Vita Vea, Taven Bryan, Maurice Hurst or Da’Ron Payne right off the bat? Will they opt to take something else first, and nab a guy like Shepherd, B.J. Hill or P.J. Hall later? It’ll be a big decision for the team to make here soon.
Shepherd would be a fun talent to add to the line, but as Kevin says, he’ll need his time to adjust to what the NFL can require. We’ll see if he ends up being the guy (or one of the guys) the team decides to add to their defensive line rotation.