It’s no secret that the Falcons are looking at all of the pass-rushers in the coming draft with a high level of scrutiny.
With the combine and Pro Day sessions completed, the Falcons have started their round of private workouts. They’ve already seen Clemson’s Vic Beasley. Florida’s Dante Fowler Jr. is scheduled to make a Sunday visit.
The team also is checking out Missouri’s Shane Ray and have a visit scheduled with Kentucky’s Bud Dupree. The Falcons have not been linked to Nebraska’s Randy Gregory, who failed a drug test at the scouting combine.
“At that position, it really comes down to the speed and length of a player,” Falcons coach Dan Quinn said Thursday. “There are always outliers where a guy is shorter, but he’s a really good pass-rusher. Or he doesn’t have quite the same speed, but he’s really a good pass-rusher.”
It addition to those physical attributes, the Falcons are assessing the intangibles.
“It’s really speed and length and that (ability) to keep relentlessly going,” Quinn said. “That’s what makes the really good pass-rushers the great ones.”
Quinn tends to place a lot of stock in the players’ game film while doing his evaluation.
“You really want to go through as much game tape as you can to try and get the best fit on what the guy can do it,” Quinn said. “There are some terrific players in the draft that can affect the quarterback back this year.”
The Falcons are set to pick eighth in the NFL draft, which is set for April 30-May 2 in Chicago.
After USC’s Leonard Williams, Fowler is considered the top defensive line prospect. He was recruited and played for Quinn at Florida.
Beasley has moved into the second spot slightly ahead of Ray. While Dupree is rising in the wake of the Gregory revelation.
“All of them have some unique stuff,” Quinn said. “That’s kind of the fun part and how would we play them in our system.”
Quinn also prefers the up-close look that the team gets during a private workout.
“You have the ability to connect more one-on-one with the players,” Quinn said. “With some of the Pro Days you get so many people there and it’s so busy that it’s really like another version of the combine.”
Quinn noted that at a Pro Day there might be 50 personnel men trying to get some time with the same prospect. At some private workouts, several members of the Falcons’ personnel department may spend the whole day with the prospect.
“When we have those opportunities to go visit with guys individually it makes all the difference as you could imagine,” Quinn said. “You just get more time to connect with the player and find out if this is the right fit for both sides.”
Gregory’s case will get some special attention. He was widely considered a top-10 talent before the failed drug test.
“You really base it on the individual case because it’s such a broad topic of off-the-field issues,” Quinn said. “What would be the support system to ensure that a player has all the support that he needs to be at his best.”
Falcons assistant general manager Scott Pioli is playing a bigger role in the team’s draft preparation this season.
While serving as Kansas City’s general manager, Pioli drafted former Georgia player Justin Houston, who had failed a drug test at the combine, in the third round. Houston has turned into an All-Pro player.
Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff wouldn’t say that the team would not consider Gregory with the eighth pick in a recent interview on 680 The Fan.
“I think for most general managers, if not all, anytime someone breaks the law, it’s cause for concern,” Dimitroff said. “I think it’s cause for more research and trying to figure out at so many levels what the player is about. It comes down to much of the discussion about judgment.”
The Falcons’ scouts will play a key role in the Gregory decision.
“You rely on the scouts who can go and dig and find all of the background information,” Quinn said.
About the Author
