Falcons general manager Terry Fontenot and coach Arthur Smith are set to work their first NFL scouting combine together Tuesday through Sunday at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
There was no combine last season because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Most teams don’t set their final draft boards until after the final numbers are crunched from the combine. The Falcons hold the eighth overall pick in the draft.
“Well, analytics is just a layer of information,” Fontenot said. “We go through the process of evaluation. Our process with the coaches and with the scouts. There’s a lot of layers of information we go through.”
The analytics and the instincts of the scouts and coaches are eventually blended into a draft grade for the 324 invited prospects – including 14 from Georgia and one from Georgia Tech.
“We’re always going to evolve the process and adapt,” Fontenot said. “We’re always learning. We’re never going to be stuck and rigid with something that we do. We’re going to utilize all of the information with every draft class.”
After being outscored by 146 points and finishing 7-10, the Falcons have several needs on offense and defense. Fontenot insisted the Falcons will select the best players available in the draft.
Here’s a look at five prospects on the Falcons’ draft radar:
Kyle Hamilton, 6-foot-4, 220 pounds, DB, Notre Dame (Marist School): He’s ranked third overall in the draft by CBS Sports’ prospect listing. He has great range and shows up at the ball. He recently ran a 4.45 while training in Los Angeles.
He finished his career with 136 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, eight interceptions and 24 pass breakups.
He was the first AJC Super 11 from Marist since Bartley Miller in 2001.
“There’s a real debate going on around the league about just how high you take safeties,” NFL Network analyst Daniel Jeremiah said Friday. “I’m a little more biased in favor of them.”
No safety has been taken in the top five since Kansas City selected Eric Berry fifth overall in the 2010 draft. Hamilton could go as high as second overall, which would be the highest pick for a safety since Eric Turner was taken second overall by the Browns in 1991.
Jeremiah has announced Chargers games for the past four seasons and has seen the impact of safety Derwin James. Jeremiah was also a scout for the Ravens and watched Ed Reed early in his Hall of Fame career.
“I don’t necessarily agree with the conventional wisdom on that, of how high you take a safety,” Jeremiah said. “This kid (Hamilton) is pretty unique. He’s so tall, long and rangy. The ability to make plays from the deep middle as well as to drop down and play down low and be a physical player, he can erase tight ends.”
Hamilton may be long gone by the time the Falcons select.
“Kyle Hamilton stacks up really well with everybody in this draft,” Jeremiah said.
Kayvon Thibodeaux, 6-5, 258, DE, Oregon: He finished his career tied for seventh in school history with 19 sacks over 31 games.
He had 34.5 tackles for loss, fifth most among Power Five players since the beginning of the 2019 season.
He helped lead the Ducks to a 10-3 record and a trip to the Alamo Bowl.
Thibodeaux was once considered one of the top players in the draft, but he could slip to the Falcons because of his work ethic.
“I think that’s a little bit of a knock on Thibodeaux, is there’s times where the effort kind of comes and goes a little bit,” Jeremiah said. “You don’t ever see that with (Michigan defensive end Aidan) Hutchinson. Both guys have a little bit of ankle tightness that shows up. I don’t think either one of them are elite bend-at-the-top-of-your-rush guys.”
The Falcons finished last season with 19 sacks, last in the NFL. They also released Dante Fowler, their top sacker (4.5) from last season. Thibodeaux has some explosiveness.
“You see it in flashes with Thibodeaux, but I think overall kind of the theme is that Hutchinson, especially this year when you compare those two guys, just down in, down out, game in, game out, (Hutchinson) was just more consistent throughout the season.”
Drake London, 6-5, 210, WR, USC: He played in 19 games and made 15 starts over his career. He had 72 catches for 1,069 yards (14.8 per catch) and eight touchdowns.
The Falcons are thin at wide receiver after Julio Jones’ trade last offseason, Calvin Ridley’s mental health issues and Russell Gage’s impending free agency.
“He’s exceptional,” Jeremiah said of London. “Again, watching the Chargers and seeing what Mike Williams does, Drake London can do that stuff. He can play inside. He can play outside. He’s got outstanding hands. He’s got outstanding feel and instincts.”
The Falcons ran a lot of routes over the middle last season. London would need to be tough to make those contested catches that A.J. Brown makes for the Titans.
“A lot of contested catches, which you talk to some people around the league and they celebrate it, and you talk to other people around the league and they say, oh, it’s because he can’t separate,” Jeremiah said.
Given the state of the Falcons’ defense and offensive lines, wide receiver might be a luxury pick.
“It’s just a matter of where you want to find the other positions, and most teams, if it’s close, they’re going to lean toward the edge rusher,” Jeremiah said.
London, who sustained a broken ankle in October, played on the Trojans’ basketball team as a freshman.
Charles Cross, 6-5, 310, OT, Mississippi State: Alabama offensive tackle Evan Neal is considered the top lineman in the draft, but Cross is not far behind.
The Falcons have expended draft capital along the offensive line, but the unit continues to struggle. Over the past three drafts, the Falcons have selected five offensive linemen, including two first-rounders in guard Chris Lindstrom and right tackle Kaleb McGary.
The Falcons selected center Matt Hennessy (third round, 2020), left guard Jalen Mayfield (third, 2021) and backup center/guard Drew Dalman (fourth, 2021). The Falcons parted ways with guard Matt Gono this offseason. He is set to pick a new team in the coming weeks from the seven that he’s visited.
Cross played in Mike Leach’s pass-happy system and only gave up one sack last season over 528 pass-blocking snaps.
“Cross is a fascinating one,” Jeremiah said.
Derek Stingley Jr., 6-1, 195, CB, LSU: Stingley or Cincinnati’s Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner could be in play for the Falcons at their top draft spot.
Stingley went up against Ja’Marr Chase daily in practice back in 2019.
He’s considered a risky pick because he didn’t maintain that high level of play in 2020 and 2021. He’s still recovering from a Lisfranc foot injury.
He could go in the top five or 40, according to Jeremiah.
