Jacquizz Rodgers
Size: 5-6, 198
College: Oregon State
Position: Running back
Round: Fifth (145th overall)
His production: He rushed for 8,245 yards and 136 touchdowns over his high school career in Richmond, Texas. Rodgers finished his career ranked second all-time in Texas high school history with 41 100-yard rushing games. He also had 21 200-yard games. He splashed onto the national scene as a college freshman when he powered the Beavers over No. 1 ranked USC 27-21. He ran 37 times for 186 yards and scored two touchdowns in that breakout game. He started 35 of 36 games for the Beavers. He gained 3,877 yards rushing and scored 46 touchdowns over his career. He also caught 151 passes for 1,052 yards and five touchdowns. He is one of eight players in Pac-10 history with 1,000 yards rushing in three seasons.
The skinny: He was nicknamed “Mr. Touchdown” in high school. He landed at Oregon State in part because they had taken his brother, James, a wide receiver, the previous year. He was also recruited by Arizona, Baylor, Houston, Illinois, Louisiana Tech and SMU. He has a daughter named Channing. He ran a slow 4.59 seconds in the 40-yard dash at the NFL scouting combine, but he is considered to be more quick, than fast. He’s a proven tough and durable runner.
In his own words: “That was the biggest highlight of my career, knocking off No. 1 USC. It was my freshman year, just being able to contribute to a win like that was good.” — Rodgers on his career highlight
Matt Bosher
Size: 6-0, 207
College: Miami
Position: Punter
Round: Sixth (192nd overall)
His production: He handled kickoffs and punts for the Hurricanes. He converted 84.7 percent of his field-goal attempts. He had six career punts blocked. He played in 50 games for the Hurricanes. As a punter, he put 70 of 234 attempts inside the 20-yard line. He finished with 41.7-yard average per punt. He averaged at least 40 yards per punt in each of his four seasons. He had 49 punts of 50 yards or more and forced the opposition to make 82 fair catches.
The skinny: “Right-footed jack-of-all trades, master-of-none type who warrants a camp invite,” according to Nolan Nawrocki of Pro Football Weekly. He was the sixth punter drafted by the Falcons, but the first since Harold Alexander, who was selected in the third round of the 1993 draft from Appalachian State.
In his own words: “It’s football. It’s not just me as a punter. If you’re going to play football, you have to be able to hit somebody if the play calls for it. You’re not just out there playing patty cakes.” — Bosher on his 19 career tackles
Andrew Jackson
Size: 6-5, 297
College: Fresno State
Position: Offensive guard
Round: Seventh (210th overall)
His production: He missed nine games last season with an ankle injury. He played in only three games and the East-West Shrine game. He was an all-WAC pick and first-team all-Academic All-American as a junior. He was on the line that helped pave the way for running back Ryan Matthews, who led the nation in rushing in 2009.
The skinny: He was ranked 15th among guards in the draft by ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper. “Might even become a starter for a gritty, try-hard offensive line such as that of the Falcons, Patriots or Chiefs,” wrote Nawrocki in Pro Football Weekly’s 2011 draft preview.
In his own words: “Blocking for Ryan Matthews was awesome. He’s a very talented athlete. Being able to block for somebody like that was a lot of fun. It was really exciting and made us push harder and harder.” — Jackson on blocking for Matthews, now of the San Diego Chargers
Cliff Matthews
Size: 6-3, 257
College: South Carolina
Position: Defensive end
Round: Seventh (230th overall)
His production: He played weakside linebacker as a freshman, making nine starts and playing in 12 games. He started all 13 games at defensive end as a sophomore. He started 11 of 13 games as a junior and started all 14 games last season. He finished his career with 15.5 sacks.
The skinny: He was a team captain. He was nicknamed “The Exposer” by coaches for the tendency to expose others’ lack of effort. He was ranked 21st among defensive ends in the draft by Kiper. He’s considered a high-energy player who needs to get stronger in the weight room.
In his own words: “I was actually eating when I got the call. I almost choked on my piece of chicken because I was so excited.” — Matthews on getting the news
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