After taking offensive tackle Jake Matthews in the first-round of the NFL draft, the Falcons turned their attention to the defensive side of the ball.
One of the reasons they couldn’t trade a lot of picks to get South Carolina defensive end Jadeveon Clowney is because they had so many holes to fill on defense.
They added players at all levels of the defense including defensive end, four linebackers and two defensive backs.
While the Falcons have been a multiple 4-3/3-4 defense the past two seasons under defensive coordinator Mike Nolan, it’s clear they drafted several players to better fit their 3-4 scheme.
“We want to be as flexible as we can on the defensive side,” Falcons coach Mike Smith said. “We did need to replenish at the linebacker position and the guys that we’ve added, we’ve added four, and all four of them have special traits.”
Here’s a look at the Falcons 2014 draft:
What about the pass rush: The Falcons were unsuccessful in trading up to land South Carolina defensive end Jadeveon Clowney and Auburn's defensive end Dee Ford.
Notre Dame linebacker Prince Shembo is the best pass rusher they selected.
“He’s been very productive,” Smith said. “(He had) 24.5 tackles for loss and 35 quarterback pressures, which I think is a Notre Dame record. …Prince can rush the passer.”
Overall, Smith’s defenses have struggled mounting a pass rush. They have never ranked in the top half in sacks per pass attempt. They finished 17th in 2008. Last season, the Falcons ranked 25 in sacks per pass attempt.
“The draft was not real deep with pass rushers,” Smith said.
What positions were filled: The Falcons entered the draft with 10 picks and ended up with nine, after making a trade with Minnesota.
The Falcons drafted two offensive players and seven defensive players.
Right tackle Jake Matthews, defensive end Ra’Shede Hageman and safety Dezmen Southward are expected to contend for starting spots.
Running back Davonta Freeman and Shembo could compete for rotational playing time.
The remaining four picks must impress on special teams in order to make the roster.
Biggest gamble: Wisconsin safety Dezmen Southward. He intercepted just two passes over 54 games and was just all-Big Ten honorable mention in each of last two seasons.
He has some great athletic numbers in the vertical jump (42 inches), 40-yard dash (4.39 seconds) and the three-cone drill (6.50 seconds).
Southward, who was projected to go in the fourth-round was taken by the Falcons in the third because he fulfilled a need. He played strong safety for the Badgers, but will be converted to free safety.
The Falcons signed Dwight Lowery this offseason, but sounded like the job was Southward’s to win.
“This is a guy who is big and fast, really good natural agility and movement for a bigger safety,” Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff said. “He has had one of the best three cone times, which is usually an indicator of body control and movement. He has cover skills and very good range for us, so we think he has some real upside to continue to bolster this secondary group.”
Biggest surprise: The Falcons have steered clear of controversial draft picks in the wake of the Michael Vick federal dogfighting investigation that landed the quarterback some jail time.
But the Falcons said they investigated Shembo’s role in an alleged sexual battery incident at Notre Dame. The woman committed suicide 10 days after the incident. Shembo was never charged.
“We used the NFL investigators as well as our own investigators through their processes,” Dimitroff said. “Without going into the detail, about how we acquired that information, but (we’re) very confident about what we acquired.”
What positions went unfilled: With the retirement of the incomparable Tony Gonzalez, the Falcons have a major hole in the offense. He averaged more than 80 catches over the past five seasons.
The team, which signed blocking tight end Bear Pascoe recently, elected not to draft a tight end.
“We feel we’re in a good spot right now with who we’re aligning with the tight end,” Dimitroff said.
Who will make an immediate impact: Jake Matthews will be counted on to stabilize the right tackle position. He played right tackle for three seasons at Texas A&M.
“We got a really good football player who is not only going to be able to protect our quarterback, but he is also going to be able to win the line of scrimmage in the running game,” Smith said.
Most intriguing pick: South Dakota linebacker Tyler Starr. He was selected in the seventh-round.
A 6-foot-4 and 250 pounds, he has nice size.
“He is a rangy guy,” Dimitroff said. “He can get up and around the corner and has been productive that way, but he also has the ability to drop as an outside 3-4 linebacker.”
