| Jeff Risdon. 30th April, 2007 - 7:59 pm
 The picks:
1st round, #8 overall--Jamaal Anderson, DE, Arkansas
2nd round, #39--Justin Blalock, G/T, Texas
2nd round, #41--Chris Houston, CB, Arkansas
3rd round, #75--Laurent Robinson, WR, Illinois State
4th round, #109--Stephen Nicholas, LB, S. Florida
4th round, #133--Martrez Milner, TE, Georgia
6th round, #185--Trey Lewis, DT, Washburn
6th round, #194--David Irons, CB, Auburn
6th round, #198--Doug Datish, C, Ohio State
6th round, #203--Daren Stone, S, Maine
7th round, #244--Jason Snelling, FB, Virginia
Best pick: Blalock
Worst pick: Milner
Analysis: A very active day for the Falcons, who picked up three 6th rounders for their 5th rounder.
Anderson immediately upgrades the pass rush and fills the hole of losing Patrick Kerney.
Blalock has enough versatility to play anywhere but C and has the size and attitude new coach Bobby Petrino desires.
Houston is a good value at #41 even though he's a boom/bust type, and he should start right away.
I really like the selections of Robinson and Nicholas, small-school guys who would have gone much higher had they played at higher-profile schools.
Milner is an odd pick, a huge underachiever who dropped off most draft boards.
Lewis and Irons are marginal prospects, but all of the final 3 picks--Datish, Stone, and Snelling--I really like. At worst all three look like capable backups for a team in need of quality depth.
Grade: A-
The Falcons made 11 picks and at least 7 could play signifcant roles right away. Several of their early picks (Houston, Robinson, Milner) have pretty high bust potential, but with so many picks and the quality of their later picks, Atlanta can absorb that risk. |
