Falcons set to search for new talent at NFL combine
While the popular “All My Children” soap opera went off the air, the new football reality show “All My Football Children” — otherwise known as the NFL scouting combine — is a fitting replacement.
In its ninth year of being broadcast by the NFL Network, there are several dramatic storylines heading into this year’s combine, which starts Wednesday and runs through Tuesday in Indianapolis.
Here are a few:
- Will Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te'o be dubbed a liar for not coming forward when he knew the truth about his imaginary girlfriend? (Yes.)
- Will Georgia linebacker Alec Ogletree drop in the draft after a recent DUI arrest? (Perhaps, not.)
- Can any of the quarterbacks actually pass the ball accurately? (No, according to NFL Network's Mike Mayock and ESPN's Todd McShay.)
- Who's the next Russell Wilson or Colin Kaepernick in the mold of the read-option quarterback? (Florida State's E.J. Manuel.)
- Who's going to become the workout warrior and move up in the draft as Georgia Tech's Stephen Hill did last season? (Tennessee's Cordarrelle Patterson is the early favorite.)
Those are just some of themes that will play out.
“We’re finding that folks are interested in it,” said Mike Muriano, the NFL Network’s senior coordinating producer. “Why I think a lot of folks tune in is they’re still (craving) for football (with it), being two and a half some weeks removed from the final game being played. … Fans of certain teams have already moved on to ‘how is my team going to get better? Who is out there for the taking?’”
The Falcons, who came up 10 yards short of the Super Bowl, will have their full allotment of draft picks and could add at least one compensatory pick and possibly two.
The Falcons will complete due diligence on their targeted players, with an emphasis on tight ends, linebackers, defensive ends and running backs. Also, the Falcons heavily scouted the offensive linemen at the Senior Bowl.
“This is really the kickoff for the coaching staff to now join in with the scouting staff,” Falcons coach Mike Smith said. “They’ve been doing all of the work, and it’s our first real exposure to these guys.”
With tight end Tony Gonzalez contemplating retirement, the Falcons will do their due diligence at his position.
Stanford’s Zach Ertz, Notre Dame’s Tyler Eifert and San Diego State’s Gavin Escobar are considered the top three tight ends at the combine.
In the Falcons’ new offense, they need a running back with pass-catching ability.
North Carolina’s Giovani Bernard and Clemson’s Andre Ellington seem to best fit their scheme.
“(Notre Dame’s) Cierre Wood is a running back that you might be able to pick up in the fifth round,” ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. said. “These running backs drop every year.”
Last season, several teams found quality running backs throughout the draft.
Baltimore drafted Bernard Pierce (532 yards) in third round. Also Robert Turbin (Seattle, fourth round, 354 yards), Vick Ballard (Indianapolis, fifth, 814 yards), Alfred Morris (Washington, sixth, 1,613), Bryce Brown (Philadelphia, seventh, 564) and Daryl Richardson (St. Louis, seventh, 475 yards) all were drafted in 2012.
“Every round produced,” Kiper said. “There was LaMichael James in the second (to San Francisco). (Ronnie) Hillman in the third to the Denver Broncos. They found these running backs. You find them every year.”
Some of the top linebackers in the draft include Ogletree, Te’o, LSU’s Kevin Minter (Peachtree Ridge High) and North Carolina’s Kevin Reddick and Kansas State’s Arthur Brown.
The Falcons will continue their search for pass-rushing talent at defensive end. There may not be much help available in the first round, where the Falcons are set to pick 30th.
“Sam Montgomery, the defensive end from LSU, is a guy that could be there,” Mayock said.
Florida State’s Cornellius “Tank” Carradine and Texas’ Alex Okafor are other defensive ends to track for the Falcons, according to Mayock.
"The combine is always evolving and we're always trying to improve," Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff said.
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About the Author
Honored by the Pro Football Hall of Fame in recognition of his "long and distinguished reporting in the field of pro football," D. Orlando Ledbetter, Esq. has covered the NFL 28 seasons. A graduate of Howard University, he's a winner of Georgia Sportswriter of the Year and three Associated Press Sports Editor awards.
