FLOWERY BRANCH -- Here are the bios from the Falcons’ 2024 draft class:
First round (8th overall ) – Michael Penix
Age: 23. Ht: 6-3. Wt: 212. Arms: 33 7/8. Hands: 10 1/2. 40-yard dash: 4.6 at Washington Pro Day. Hometown: Cookeville, Tennessee. Moved and was raised in Dade City, Florida. Overview: He had a private workout with the Falcons. He’s considered the best deep-ball passer in the QB class. He started his career at Indiana. He redshirted in 2018 after playing in three games. In 2019, he started six games for the Hoosiers. He missed the rest of the year with an injury to his right shoulder (non-throwing). In 2020, he was second-team All-Big Ten but tore his ACL versus Maryland in November and missed the rest of the season. In 2021, he played five games and completed 87 of 162 passes (53.7%) for 939 yards, four touchdowns and seven interceptions. Missed the end of the season after separating the left (throwing) shoulder. He had two spectacular seasons after transferring to Washington. He guided the Huskies to the College Football Playoff title game. He won the Maxwell Award as the nation’s top player.
“He played well (in 2023) and hasn’t missed a game since he got to Washington, but you just can’t turn a blind eye to all the games he’s missed and all the injuries he’s had.” – NFC area scout
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
Second round (35th overall ) – Ruke Orhorhoro
Age: 22. Ht: 6-4. Wt: 294. Arms: 34. Hands: 9 3/8. 40-yard dash: 4.89. 10-yard split: 1.67. Vertical jump: 32 inches. Broad Jump: 9-8. Bench Press: 225 pounds 29 times. Hometown: Born in Lagos, Nigeria, moved to Detroit at age of 8. Overview: Orhorhoro played high school football in Michigan and became the first Clemson signee from the state since 1975 (Joe Carolan). He played just two years of high school football and was ranked as the 15th best player in the state by 247sports.com. He earned All-ACC honors last season. He was credited with 97 tackles, 25.5 tackles for loss, 12 sacks, nine pass breakups and two fumble recoveries in 1,526 career snaps over 53 games, which included 30 starts from 2019-2023. He played five offensive snaps in Clemson’s jumbo packet over his career. He has a 6.25 grade from NFL.com, which translates to projecting to one day being an average starter. One of his weaknesses is that he hasn’t learn how to covert his speed to power when rushing.
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
Third round (74th overall ) – Bralen Trice
Age: 23. Ht: 6-3. Wt: 274. Arms: 32 1/2. Hands: 9. 40-yard dash: 4.72. Hometown: Phoenix, Arizona. Overview: He was one of four captains last season as voted on by his teammates. He was first team All-American (Pro Football Focus) and first-team All-Pac-12. He started each game last season as the Huskies reached the national championship game. He was named defensive MVP of the Sugar Bowl after getting five tackles, three tackles for losses, two sacks and a forced fumble. He had three tackles against Michigan in the title game. For the second year in a row, Trice was named the school’s defensive most valuable player at the team’s postseason awards banquet.
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
Fourth round (109th overall ) – Brandon Dorlus
Age: 23. Ht.: 6-3. Wt.: 283. Arms: 33 1/4. Hands: 9 3/8. 40-yard dash: 4.85. 10-yard split: 1.68. Vertical jump: 30.5. Broad jump: 9 feet, 3 inches. Three-cone drill: 7.43. 20-yard shuttle: 4.85. Hometown: Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Overview: He made the first-team All-Pac 12 team twice and was a second-team pick one season. A disruptive player who spent a lot of time in the backfield. “I feel like I can play the run very well,” Dorlus said. He played 52 games for the Ducks. He finished with 108 tackles, 27 tackles for losses and 12 sacks. He had 14 pass breakups and one fumble recovery of his career. He used to trained with former Falcons defensive lineman Chuck Smith. “He was a pro guy, who played in the league,” Dorlus said. “I feel like he just developed my moves.”
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
Fifth round (143rd overall ) – JD Bertrand
Age: 24. Ht: 6-3. Wt: 212. Arms: 33 7/8. Hands: 10 1/2. 40-yard dash: 4.6. Hometown: Cookeville, Tennessee. Moved and was raised in Dade City, Florida. Overview: He led Notre Dame with 76 tackles last season and was finalist for the Wuerffel Trophy, which goes to community service workers. He also won the William V. Campbell Trophy, which is known as the Academic Heisman. He started all 12 games, had 7.5 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks. After de-committing from Georgia, he went on to play for the Notre Dame from 2020 to 2023. He was a tackling machine as he finished his career with 267 tackles, 22.5 tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks, nine passes defensed and two forced fumbles. He was a three-year starter and two-time captain.
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
Sixth round (186th overall ) – Jase McClellan
Age: 21. Ht.: 5-10 3/8. Wt.: 221. Arms: 31 1/8. Hands: 10 1/4. Bench press: Lifted 225 pounds, 20 times. Hometown: Aledo, Texas. Overview: He played in 43 games at Alabama from 2020-23. He rushed 355 times for 1981 yards (5.6 yards per carry) and scored 18 touchdowns. He also was a threat out of the backfield and caught 40 passes for 409 yards (10.2 yards per catch) and scored six touchdowns. “McClellan lacks explosiveness, but gets it done with above-average vision and know-how,” according to Lance Zierlein of NFL.com. “He’s quick to process his lane choice and smooth getting from cut to cut. He has good-not-great burst and appears to be better suited for gap and inside-zone runs.”
Credit: Courtesy of University of Illinois
Credit: Courtesy of University of Illinois
Sixth round (187th overall ) – Casey Washington
Age: 23. Ht.: 6-0. Wt.: 201. Arms: 33 7/8. Hands: 10 1/2. Vertical: 39.5. 10-yard split: 1.57 40-yard dash: 4.46. (His 40 and jumps are in 80 or 90-plus percentile among wide receivers). Hometown: Round Rock, Texas. Overview: He played in 55 games over his career. He caught 122 passes for 1,508 yards (12.4 per catch) and four touchdowns. He played in the East-West Shrine Bowl. He was an Academic All-Big Ten selection. He ranked ninth in the Big Ten in receptions (49) during the regular season.
Credit: Jason.Getz@ajc.com
Credit: Jason.Getz@ajc.com
Sixth round (197th overall ) – Zion Logue
Age: 24. Ht: 6-6. Wt: 314. Arms: 33 1/2. Hands: 10. 40-yard dash: 5.14. 10-yard split: 1.82. Vertical: 29 inches. Broad jump: 9 feet, 1 inch. 20-yard shuttle: 4.92. Hometown: Lebanon, Tennessee. Overview: He played in every game last season and made 10 starts along the defensive line. He had 17 tackles with 2.5 for loss, including half of a sack. He also had three pass breakups. In 2022, he played in 14 of 15 games and made six starts. “He rarely reads early block movement and finds himself on the wrong side of move blocks a disappointingly high number of times, despite decent initial quickness,” according to NFL analyst Lance Zierlein of NFL.com. “Logue just doesn’t have a go-to skill set that allows him to stand out.” His father, Greg Washington, played at Kansas State in 1988.
AJC’S 2024 POSITION-BY-POSITION DRAFT SERIES
WIDE RECEIVERS -- Don’t sleep on Washington’s Rome Odunze among talented wide receivers | Top 10 WRs
RUNNING BACKS -- ‘Day two is going to be the running back day,’ an analyst says | Top 10 RBs
TIGHT ENDS -- Ex-Georgia standout Brock Bowers is the top tight end | Top 10 TEs
QUARTERBACKS -- After Caleb Williams, is Jayden Daniels or Drake Maye the next quarterback? | Top 10 QBs
OFFENSIVE LINE -- Mims, Van Pran-Granger could help NFL teams in the trenches | Top 5 C, OG, OTs
DEFENSIVE LINE -- T’Vondre Sweat’s recent arrest will impact his status | Top 5 DTs, DEs
LINEBACKERS -- Dallas Turner likes to hit quarterbacks | Top 10 LBs
CORNERBACKS -- Alabama cornerbacks Arnold, McKinstry ready for next level | Top CBs
SAFETIES --Javon Bullard’s instinctive play style should translate well in NFL | Top 10 safeties
SPECIAL TEAMS -- NFL draft: New kickoff return rules to boost special-teams players | Top 10 special
