This Nov. 7, 2009, file photo shows Duke quarterback Thaddeus Lewis (9) being sacked by North Carolina's Robert Quinn (42), left, and Zach Brown (47) during the second half of an NCAA college football game in Chapel Hill, N.C. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome, File)
Here it is, The Mockiavelli 2.0.
Any Mock Draft done before the NFL scouting combine is just mere guess work. It’s just some basement hack throwing darts at a board.
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But now, there is some real information floating around.
After speaking with the Falcons and other teams, listening to more than 200 player interviews and riding around Indianapolis with Jerry Jones on the Dallas Cowboys’ bus, some things have come into focus.
Has right tackle Tyson Clabo played his last game with the Falcons? (By Jimmy Cribb/Atlanta Falcons)
My man, Allen Bailey from Miami, will not be selected by the Falcons with the 27th pick. While he did meet with the team, he’s clearly a second-rounder.
The move not to re-sign Brian Finneran and coach Mike Smith’s comments about the young wide receivers – Harry Douglas , Kerry Meier and Eric Weems – getting a chance to step up, means you can forget about Boise State’s Titus Young or Maryland’s Torrey Smith in the first round. However, Pat Kirwan , of NFL.Com and Sirius NFL Radio, has the Falcons selecting Pittsburgh wide receiver Jonathan Baldwin in the first round.
The Falcons are not picking a quarterback, safety, running back or tight end in the first round. You can eliminate those positions.
They are really picky about their cornerbacks and believe that Christopher Owens will develop into a ball player.
So, that leaves them with a value pick and trying to balance the need for a pass rushing defensive end against the possibility of losing Pro Bowl right tackle Tyson Clabo . Or, they could elect to fortify their linebacker corps.
“The defensive line, in general is phenomenal,” NFL Network draft analyst Mike Mayock said. “I’ve got nine defensive ends with first-round grades.”
NFL Network's Bucky Brooks and Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff at the NFL scouting combine. (D. Orlando Ledbetter/dledbetter@ajc.com)
This is not considered a very good draft for offensive tackles. But the Falcons may have a shot at Wisconsin’s Gabe Carimi or Mississippi State’s Derek Sherrod , who measured in at 6-foot-5 and weighed 321 pounds.
“Carimi is as solid as it comes,” Mayock said. “He’s a guy that you plug in at right tackle on day one and he’s a starter for the next 10 years. I think Derek Sherrod from Mississippi State is a gifted left tackle.”
But under this 2.0 scenario, I have the Falcons landing the best pass rushing prospect in the draft, North Carolina defensive end Robert Quinn , a 6-4, 265-pound terror. He’s going to slip because of his suspension. The NCAA determined that he received $5,642 in “improper” benefits. He was suspended for last season.
But those problems are minor when stacked up against his talent. He’ll have to get a character clearance from the Falcons’ character review department. He’ll also need a medical clearance. He had brain surgery in high school.
“I’m just going to move on from the past and let people make their judgments on that,” Quinn said. “I made a selfish mistake and I paid –- me, my team, my family and coaches paid a price for it. I truly apologized for it.
Gabe Carimi won the Outland Trophy. (Associated Press)
“When I took the jewelry, it was from a jeweler. In the back of my mind, it wasn’t an agent, so I was thinking it wasn’t as bad or wasn’t bad at all. But coming all the way through, actually it was.”
Draft this kid and give him some cash so he can buy his own jewelry. Show him a picture of Drew Brees and Josh Freeman and let him go to work.
Quinn might just be worth the risk. It’s not like he committed one of the B.A.R.R.K. crimes (Burglary, Arson, Robbery, Rape or Kidnapping.)
“He’s as good of a natural pass rusher as I’ve ever seen,” Mayock said. “Now, he’s 20 years old. . . Some of the 3-4 teams might want to see him stand up. He’s unbelievable coming off the edge.”
Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff stated to the 715 gathered members of the media that the Falcons will always consider character. He stated that team has been tempted, but has passed on some “challenging souls.” But they might just have to take the football player if Quinn drops to their spot.
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