Falcons’ defensive focus continues in Day 2 of draft

Flowery Branch — With each pick, you could practically hear the chants of “Defense! Defense! Defense!” emanating from the Falcons draft room.

General manager Thomas Dimitroff, who was named the league’s Executive of the Year for his shrewd moves last season, continued to select defensive players on the second day of the 2009 NFL draft on Sunday.

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AP

William Middleton, a cornerback out of Furman and a Marist High School product, was the Falcons’ fifth-round draft pick.

Which of the Falcons draft picks on Day 2 will have the biggest impact?
CB Chris Owens
CB William Middleton
DE Lawrence Sidbury
LB Spencer Adkins
DT Vance Walker
OT Garrett Reynolds
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FALCONS' DRAFT

Day 1
• Falcons pick defense on first day
• Top pick Jerry introduced • Photos
• Williams eager to join secondary

Day 2
• Defensive focus continues
• Owens covers all corners
• Sidbury adds quick burst at DE
• Local product Middleton has smarts
• Walker stays close to home

• Schultz: Foundation for future
• Bradley: Smart moves

• Falcons' picks: Jerry | Moore | Owens | Sidbury | Middleton | Reynolds | Adkins | Walker
• Photos: Rate the picks VOTE!
• Round: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7

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After opening the draft on Saturday by taking two defensive players, they turned in cards with five more defensive players.

“We are fired up about our acquisitions,” Dimitroff said. “We set out to be very defensive-oriented and aggressive with our approach.”

The lone offensive player selected was North Carolina tackle Garrett Reynolds in the fifth round. He’s the nephew of former NFL great Jack “Hacksaw” Reynolds.

The Falcons addressed their weaknesses in the secondary with three picks, the defensive line with three picks and added one linebacker.

They picked up two cornerbacks in Chris Owens and William Middleton, a graduate of the Marist School and Furman.

Owens, a cornerback from San Jose State, was selected in the third round. Middleton was selected in the fifth round.

The Falcons needed to address the secondary after Domonique Foxworth, the team’s top cornerback last season, signed a lucrative free agent contract with Baltimore. Also, safety Lawyer Milloy, the teams’ third leading tackler, was not re-signed after his contract expired.

The Falcons drafted safety William Moore in the second round before turning their attention to the cornerback position.

The Falcons’ secondary hemorrhaged passing yards at times last season. They gave up an average of 220.4 passing yards per game, which ranked them 21st in the league.

Owens, 5-foot-9 and 181 pounds, had six interceptions as a junior. Teams elected not to throw to his side of the field last season.

“The first four or five games, no passes came my way,” Owens said. “You can watch the tape of the San Diego State game and not one pass came my way the whole entire game.”

Owens started 38 of 48 games at San Jose State, including his final 37 games at right cornerback. Chris Houston is the Falcons’ starting right cornerback.

Falcons coach Mike Smith was impressed with Owens’ man-to-man coverage skills.

“He knew from watching the tape and even in high school, all I did was play man to man,” Owens said. “I’m skilled at that technique.”

Owens’ height is likely what kept him from being drafted higher. At times, he struggled against bigger receivers.

He tries to use his speed and quickness to make up for any size disadvantage.

“It’s all about positioning,” said Owens, who has a 35 1/2-inch vertical jump. “If I’m in position, I can compete for the ball at the highest point. I’ve been playing against bigger wideouts. That’s been a knock on me in the past, but I’m ready for that right now.”

Middleton, 5-11 and 186 pounds, ran the 40-yard dash in 4.46 seconds during his pro day workout in March. Middleton graduated from Furman with a degree in biology and post-football plans to attend medical school.

The Falcons also selected Richmond defensive end Lawrence Sidbury in the fourth round.

Sidbury posted the fastest 40-yard dash time (4.5 seconds) at the scouting combine in the group of defensive linemen.

After taking Middleton, the Falcons pulled off a trade with the Dallas Cowboys. They sent the 143rd pick to Dallas for the 156th and picked up the 210th pick, the first pick of the seventh round.

“At that time, we thought we could move down, get another pick and still get who we wanted to get in the fifth round,” Dimitroff said.

The Falcons also lost their two starting outside linebackers this offseason. Keith Brooking left to sign a free agent deal with Dallas and Michael Boley signed a free agent deal with the New York Giants.

The Falcons had addressed the position by adding Michael Peterson during free agency.

In the sixth round, they added linebacker Spencer Adkins. Georgia Tech defensive tackle Vance Walker was selected with the seventh-round pick the Falcons received from Dallas.