Round 1 (#3): QB Matt Ryan, Boston College
And so the Michael Vick era officially comes to an end in Atlanta. With Glenn Dorsey still on the board after the Rams chose Chris Long, the Falcons had to decide between the franchise quarterback or the franchise DT. With the well documented problems at the QB position, they eventually went for the hard working, intelligent, motivated kid out of Boston College. General Manager Tom Dmitroff and Head Coach Mike Smith both knew this team needed a fresh start and a fresh face for this franchise. Ryan has been compared to Peyton Manning when he came out and although the 19 interceptions as a senior will worry a lot of people, more so than Dorsey’s injury worries people about him, the Falcons probably made the right call here.
Pick grade: B+

Round 1 (#21): OT Sam Baker, USC
Finding a franchise guy on the offensive line was always going to be an important part of the Falcons draft plans this year, but they came very close to missing out altogether. With the top offensive tackles flying off the board in the top 20 picks, the Falcons moved back up into the first round to take Baker. The general feeling was that Baker was a reach at #21, and this could quite possibly be true, but put into the context of this draft the Falcons certainly did the smart thing. With the top 6 OTs already taken, the choice was either move or miss out. The Texans taking Duane Brown just a few picks later emphasises just how important this pick really was.
Pick grade: B

Round 2 (#37): MLB Curtis Lofton, Oklahoma
Nowhere in this draft was there a better 4-3 middle linebacker, so picking him up in the second round was an absolute bargain for Atlanta. Having starting an outside linebacker in Keith Brooking in the middle last year, the Falcons knew they needed to upgrade at that position and to allow Brooking to move back outside. While Lofton may not be Patrick Willis, and will almost certainly not have quite the same impact as last year’s DROY, Lofton is a solid, surefire tackler and will become a vital part of this defense alongside Michael Boley.
Pick grade: A

Round 3 (#68): CB Chevis Jackson, LSU
Jackson may not have been most Falcons’ fans choice at this pick, but when you look closely at him you can see why he was the choice. At 6’0 he provides a little more height in the secondary and although he may not have 4.4 speed he hits well and has a good sense of where the ball is going. Coming out of LSU, the level of competition he has faced is relatively high and as such the transition to NFL level may be a little easier for him than for other CBs who were still available, and with the Falcons needing someone to start opposite Chris Houston on day one this is actually a very sensible pick.
Pick grade: B+

Round 3 (#84): WR Harry Douglas, Louisville
Despite Louisville’s poor season, Harry Douglas’ play still garnered some good reviews from scouts and fans alike. Apart from Roddy White, no other receiver in Atlanta has proven they are either capable at this level or able to stay injury free, so finding another WR in this draft was always going to be something the Falcons looked at doing. Douglas may not be a blazing speed guy, but he certainly is not slow either and I would guess at this stage that he will play in the slot this year.
Pick grade: B

Round 3 (#98): S Thomas DeCoud, California
DeCoud is the sort of safety who could potentially play either FS or SS at NFL level. He hits hard and will certainly contribute on special teams immediately. He tends to be better in run support than dropping back in coverage and my expectation is that he will learn from Lawyer Milloy and project to become a starter at SS in a year or two, especially if Erik Coleman becomes the player he was in his early days in New York.
Pick grade: B

Round 5 (#138): OLB Rob James, Arizona State
With DeMorrio Williams leaving as a free agent, the Falcons required depth at the weakside linebacker position, which is what James will bring to the table. He will also be a good addition to the special teams, an area the Falcons consistently looked to address in the later rounds. He was nicknamed “The Beast” at Arizona State for always being willing to put his body on the line and flying around the football field.  May well have been available a bit later however, as he was only worked out by 5 teams.
Pick grade: C+

Round 5 (#154): DE Kroy Biermann, Montana
I like the Kroy Biermann pick on several levels. Firstly, with only Chauncey Davis providing depth behind the starters at defensive end its always good to ensure you have adequate depth on the whole defensive line. Secondly, Biermann is an excellent athlete who impressed at the Combine and should be another solid special teams guy. Thirdly, his name translates as beer man which cannot be a bad thing either! Solid pick in this area of the draft.
Pick grade: B+

Round 6 (#172): RB Thomas Brown, Georgia
With Atlanta looking to establish a power running game, the free agent signing of Michael Turner was excellent for this team. In Thomas Brown, the Falcons get a similar style runner – a guy with decent timed speed and even better strength and physicality. He also performed excellently at the Combine and was only one of two backs drafted who achieved an excellent score on the Kirwan Explosiveness Index of over 70 (the other being Jonathan Stewart).
Pick grade: A-

Round 7 (#212): CB Wilrey Fontenot, Arizona
Another guy who should be a solid special teams guy, Fontenot may be the lesser corner to come out of Arizona this year but his character and heart cannot be questioned. He ran a storming 4.29 at the Combine and should be more than capable of dealing with some of the smaller, speedier receivers if required in some dime or quarter packages on defense.
Pick grade: B+

Round 7 (#232): TE Keith Zinger, LSU
Zinger is your prototypical blocking tight end, big, strong, but not too quick. Obviously he is a good fit in the power offense, but you have to wonder who Matt Ryan’s go to guy is going to be. Young QBs often like having a good pass catching tight end to throw to if they’re under pressure and Zinger will not be that guy by any means. There were also some decent players still on the board, so this pick was a bit of an unusual one.
Pick grade: C+

Overall, the Falcons had what I believe to be a solid, if unspectacular, draft. They were able to get some very good talent at the top of the draft, with their first four guys all likely to be starters on the team this year (and all bar Ryan from week one). The middle rounds contained guys who will be looked at as hopefully starting in a year or two and contributing early on special teams, and the later round guys will again be good special teams contributors and one or two may well go on to do more than that for the team. In terms of contributions to the team, all these guys should be able to help in at least one area of the game in 2008 and that is all you can ask for from a draft class.
Final grade: B+