Georgia Tech defensive end Derrick Morgan doesn't figure to have a long wait in the green room.
He has been invited to New York for the NFL draft, which will be held Thursday through Saturday.
Morgan is expected to be selected within the top 10 picks and could be reunited with former Georgia Tech coach Chan Gailey. The Buffalo Bills, who hired Gailey as their head coach this offseason, hold the ninth pick.
"What he brings to the table -- not only that he's from a very solid program and has been coached very well there at Tech -- is that he has a nice combination of size, speed and power," Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff said. "He has the ability to mix it up."
Teams like Morgan's first step and his explosiveness.
"He can translate that into getting underneath pads and then on the next play, he has the speed to get around the corner," Dimitroff said. "That's a very important trait to have."
Morgan is a part of the record-tying 53 underclassmen -- 11 defensive linemen -- who entered the draft.
Last season, Morgan had 12.5 sacks, 18.5 tackles for losses and forced two fumbles.
"He was definitely one of the most complete defensive ends I faced," said Iowa offensive tackle Brian Bulaga, who blocked Morgan in the Orange Bowl. "He was a strong guy. He was aggressive and brought good speed."
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