Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff made a trade for the fifth consecutive year in the 2012 NFL Draft.
He moved back in the third round in a deal with the Baltimore Ravens and picked up an additional pick in the fifth round. That pick was used to select Troy defensive end Jonathan Massaquoi, who could be the steal of the draft for the Falcons.
“We were fortunate to have him there at the back end of the fifth round,” Dimitroff said. “We were watching him. We really focused on him over the last couple of years. He had an outstanding junior season with 13-plus sacks. This year he came back with only six sacks.”
The Falcons took Massaquoi’s entire body of work into consideration.
“He’s another guy that is going to be in the mix with our defensive end group,” Dimitroff said of the Central Gwinnett High product.
The Falcons didn’t have a pick in the first or fourth round because of the Julio Jones trade. Dimitroff is already looking forward to having a full allotment of picks next season.
“This was interesting working out of [pick] 55 verses having a first-round pick,” Dimitroff said. “With that said, I feel strongly about what we did last year and I feel strongly about what we accomplished in this draft.”
The Falcons were not the only team from the NFC South without a first-round pick, as the Saints had also traded their pick away.
Here’s a look at how the rest of the NFC South fared:
New Orleans (13-3 in 2011): The defending NFC South champs traded away their first round pick to New England last season in order to move up to select running back Mark Ingram. As part of their penalty for Bounty Gate, they forfeited their second round pick.
Best pick: The Saints needed to replace Robert Meachem, who signed with San Diego in free agency. They picked up Wisconsin receiver Nick Toon in the fourth round. The son of former NFL star Al Toon, who was a first round pick in 1985 by the New York Jets, was productive for the Badgers. He's not as big or fast as his father, but he will fight for the ball and can make the acrobatic catch.
Reach: Their top pick was defensive tackle Akeem Nicks from Regina in Canada. The Saints took him in the third round when he was projected as a fifth or sixth rounder.
Overall grade: C. They Saints could have used that second rounder.
Carolina (6-10): The Panthers have a bright future on offense with Cam Newton at quarterback. Their emphasis was on improving their defense.
Best picks: Linebacker Luke Kuechly and guard Amini Silatolu. Kuechly was a tackling machine at Boston College and was the ninth player taken overall. He will get the opportunity to come in and start right away. The Panthers like his versatility and believe he can play all of the linebacker spots. Silatolu played at Division II Midwestern State, but many teams had him projected as a first rounder. He's a mean and nasty player.
Reach: Oklahoma defensive end Frank Alexander was selected in the fourth round when he was projected as a late rounder
Overall grade: B. Kuechly and Silatolu are plug-in and play guys, who could be around for a decade.
Tampa Bay (4-12): The Bucs were sitting pretty near the top of the draft. They picked up five players for their defense and two offensive players.
Best picks: Safety Mark Barron and running back Doug Martin. Barron should start right away and help stabilize the secondary. Martin, a shifty back from Boise State, should take away some carries from LeGarrette Blount. They also picked up a solid linebackers in Nebraska's Lavonte David and West Virginia's Najee Goode.
Reach: Martin was a slight reach at 31 in the first round, but he wasn't going to be available at the 58th pick of the second round.
Overall grade: B-plus. Bucs general manager Mark Dominik did a good job of bouncing around the draft and landing some help for their defense.
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