Less than 24 hours after perhaps the worst moment of Grady Jarrett’s life, when his mother’s home in Conyers caught fire as family members waited to see if he would be selected in the NFL draft, the former Clemson defensive tackle got great news upon being picked by his hometown team, the Falcons.
The Falcons traded with the Vikings to move forward nine spots and select Jarrett with the first pick of the fifth round.
His biological father, former Falcons linebacker Jessie Tuggle, read Jarrett’s name aloud while attending a team function at the College Football Hall of Fame for season ticket holders.
Tuggle, who played for the Falcons from 1987-2000, was scheduled to read the team’s selection regardless of the selection. The Falcons swapped their fifth-round pick for Minnesota’s — trading up from the 146th overall spot to the 137th — and sent their sixth-round pick (No. 184) to the Vikings.
“I just got off the phone with him a little while ago. He’s ecstatic,” Jarrett said of Tuggle. “He thought it was a joke. It couldn’t have been betting timing, and I’m looking forward to really great things in the future.”
At 6-feet-0 3/4 and 304 pounds, Jarrett figures to work primarily as a “three technique” tackle, chiefly in the center-guard or guard-tackle gaps. Jonathan Babineaux, an 11-year NFL veteran, currently occupies that spot most of the time.
He was first-team All-ACC as a senior, when he had 73 combined tackles and assists, 10 tackles for lost yardage and 1.5 sacks.
When Falcons officials attended Clemson’s Pro Day, coach head Dan Quinn ran the defensive line drills and worked with Jarrett and end Vic Beasley, whom Atlanta drafted in the first round Friday.
“I feel like my versatility is an asset. … The three is probably going to be my best asset,” Jarrett said. “I love the style that coach Quinn wants to play. I felt he really liked me as a player.”
The head coach referenced Jarrett’s strength, and said, “We saw quickness off the ball … I think that’s where you can be really disruptive.”
Slotted for success?: Justin Hardy's isn't the first undersized former high school quarterback the Falcons have planned to have catch the ball rather than throw it.
Terance Mathis, the second-leading receiver in Falcons history with 573 receptions and 7,349 receiving yards for the Falcons from 1994-2001, was a quarterback, defensive back and running back at Redan High before becoming the leading receiver in college football history — at the time — at New Mexico.
Mathis was listed at 5-10, 177 pounds. Hardy is 5-10 1/4, 192 pounds.
Mathis caught 263 passes for the Lobos. Hardy caught 387 for the Pirates, including a whopping 121 for 1,494 yards last season. He also played basketball and was a high-jumper in high school.
Some scouts consider him to have the best catching skills in the draft.
“I always have that chip on my shoulder. I was never given anything,” said Hardy, who last season won the Burlsworth Award as the nation’s top former walk-on player. “(Scouts) always list me as not being the fastest guy and not being the biggest guy, but I like to hang my hat on my route-running to get that separation.
“You don’t necessarily have to be the fastest person, you have to perfect your craft to get the separation that’s needed.”
Jumping Jake
Jake Rodgers, the Falcons’ first seventh round pick, earned first team FCS All America honors as a tackle at Eastern Washington yet team officials said they’re going to play him at tackle. No matter. He jumped around while playing both guard and tackle spots in a career that began at Washington State.
“We’re going to play him at tackle,” Quinn explained. “He really has good pass protection, a guy we think has the foot quickness to play in the wide zone.”
The 6-6, 315-pound Rodgers was an oustanding athlete at Shadle Park High School in Spokane. He was a four-year starter, working chiefly at tight end and defensive end, and was a kicker and punter before being recruited as a tight end. He lettered three times in basketball and once in baseball at Shadle Park.
Rodgers’ father, John, suffered a heart attack while in the stands at EWU’s home playoff game on Dec. 13, and passed away two weeks later.
King wheels
The Falcons went west again to make their final pick, San Jose State safety Akeem King, in the seventh round. Recruited as a wide receiver, he transitioned to defense after redshirting in 2010. King wasn’t a starter until his senior year, but earned a look after totaling 71 tackles in 12 games. When he ran the 40-yard dash in 4.39 seconds at his pro day workout, more NFL teams paid attention.
“We’re going to try him at corner first,” Quinn said. “Long, strong, fast … all those things we like in a corner.”
The rest of the roster
Quinn loves to talk about the “grit” factor in players, and repeatedly references toughness.
General manager Thomas Dimitroff and the personnel staff went into full-bore recruiting mode immediately after the draft, calling undrafted college players and trying to convince them to agree to contracts. Team officials will zero in on that intangible.
“With that fire and passion, that’s something that Dan really stressed to us. It’s not always about the exact numbers and size,” he said of Jarrett, for example. “From the grit standpoint, when you start getting into the latter rounds it’s even more important. They come in behind the ball a little bit. They have the resilience and passion.
“We have about 15 [college free agent] spots … before the end of the evening, we’ll have our team. This is an exciting time for our scouts.”
