8 picks
#19, 83, 98comp, 117, 149, 165comp, 171det, 189
Defensive End
They missed on Jamaal Anderson although can you blame them for taking a guy with basically the same name as their leading rushing on the lone Super Bowl team? No, you can't. Rookie Lawrence Sidbury and Kroy Biermann are developing, but John Abraham saw a precipitous drop in his sack total (16 1/2 to 5 1/2) and at 32 this May he might never again reach double digits. Someone to rush the passer has to be considered in the first round. If no one they like is available, look for them to trade down.
Center
Todd McClure just turned 33 and while he has been Mr. Durable with 124 straight starts eventually the human body can no longer withstand the punishment. He had a tough time against the top 3-4 nose tackles this past season and with Brett Romberg, who turns 31 during the season, backing him up the time is now to look for a replacement.
Outside Linebacker
The new regime let popular veteran Keith Brooking exit and filled his spot with Mike Peterson, who was signed for two seasons. Guess what? This is the second season and at 35 next June there is no reason to believe he has any future with the team. Aside from that, his play was inconsistent which pushes this to a serious need at the weak side. On the strong side Stephen Nicholas had issues in pass coverage, which was a problem across the board for their defense. Rookie Spencer Adkins projects as a backup at both spots. They will give this need serious consideration in the first round or might trade up from the third round to address it. Even with a short stack of picks at the moment (5 until the compensatory picks - see below) they do not have too many pressing needs and want to get their hands on some quality.
Wide Receiver
Matt Ryan turned what had been a disappointing group of players into NFL caliber talent. Funny how an accurate passer can make that happen. However, after two seasons without the excuse of having to chase after ducks thrown by Michael Vick it is time to recognize that Michael Jenkins is really not a #2 starter. He has been consistently mediocre in three years as a former first round pick and an upgrade is needed. Harry Douglas should return from an injury robbing him of his "sophomore" campaign, and Brian Finneran is hanging on for one more season. It appears Marty Booker's NFL road has come to an end after 11 seasons. In short, there is no one steady to count on across from Roddy White.
Running Back
On paper the talent is there. I'm sure they perform quite well on Madden. Real life is another story because of durability questions. Michael Turner fell into a common trap - overuse. He logged 376 carries in 2008 after totaling 228 while serving as a backup for San Diego. Without bogging this down with a bunch of statistics, suffice it to say that players with a huge season typically suffer the consequences soon thereafter. In mid-November he broke down and the Falcons need to make sure someone is around to limit his carries even if he is completely healthy. They slapped second round tenders on Snelling and Norwood hoping to do just that. Snelling, who signed his tender, might be the more valuable because he plays fullback as well as helping out with some carries. Norwood has been a big tease. His season totals for yards, and average per carry have both declined season after season. That's not good, and averaging 3.3 was pretty alarming. The second round would have been an ideal time to address this issue by adding a quality player with speed. Unfortunately they traded the pick last year to Kansas City for Tony Gonzalez. Something has to be done later on unless Clemson's C.J. Spiller is around when they make their first pick.
Offensive Line
Every team looks for depth on the offensive line, and the Falcons are no exception. The situation at tackle is not desperate by any means. Sam Baker had some growing pains at the left tackle spot which is to be expected for a young player. On the right side they gave a first round tender to their starter (Clabo) and a fifth round tender to a primary backup (Ojinnaka) who made some starts at right guard. Both signed their tender. Rookie Garrett Reynolds is also in the mix. At guard they made sure to retain Dahl with a first round tender which he signed, but Blalock will be a free agent next year. With so many contracts to pass out something has to give. Again, it always makes sense to add a lineman late in the draft and I expect them to do it in the later rounds.
Cornerback
They made one of the biggest free agency splashes by signing Houston's Dunta Robinson. The urgency to add someone in the first few rounds is gone. They retained Brian Williams on a one-year contract, which pretty much means that is what they can count on him for after his demotion inside to the nickel slot. Rookie Chris Owens and Brent Grimes were good enough this past season, while Chevis Jackson has youth on their side. Tye Hill, a first round bust with the Rams in 2006, was cut after one season. The one element missing is a little bit of size. All of these guys are pretty much 5-10/185 and grabbing someone with more of a physical presence is possible. The team did handle the depth issue at free safety by signing Matt Giordano, who has bounced around a bit and was cut by the Packers. Harris and Fudge are both free agents after neither was tendered, with Harris the more valuable of the pair. DeCoud is locked in as the starter, but with strong side Peprah also free to sign elsewhere they still might grab a versatile type late in the draft.
Tight End
Sitting on just five draft picks will make it difficult for them to add anyone of the "luxury" variety in the early going although when the compensatory picks come out it should bolster their third day bounty. Tony Gonzalez chewed up one of those (second round) and finding his successor could be on their minds after the draft when teams go bargain hunting. He has one season left on his deal and should be content extending it assuming the team has a chance to win in 2011 which is a good bet. There is not much left in his great career though.
Special Teams
They do not have enough draft picks to consider spending any on kicker, long snapper or punter. It seems like they secured two of those areas. Their punter Koenen was tendered (second round) which should keep him in the fold. Broken ribs took Schneck (an unrestricted free agent) out of action, but it might have been a blessing in disguise. It gave them a look at Zelenka and they thought enough of his work to retain him. The kicker situation is a little uneasy. The feel good story of signing Jason Elam turned sour in year two when he was cut and replaced by Matt Bryant. Competition is always a good idea, especially considering this is Bryant's fifth team and he is just 3/12 from 50+ yards in his career.
