For the past week or so, there has been talk on numerous blogs (including this one) and the NFL Network about the our beloved Falcons taking Rudolph with our 27th pick.  I prefer that it not happen but the decision is not in any of our hands.  However, this scenario is so much more plausible than others that say trade up and get AJ Green.  This could actually happen my fellow Falcoholics.  So for this blog lets say that Rudolph is our 27th pick. I think it changes the whole drafting game entirely.

My guess would be:

2nd [pick 59]- WR (Jernigan)

3rd- [pick 86]- CB (Gilcrist)

4th- [pick 117]- DE (Romeus)

5th- [pick 153]- RB (Locke) -who would pair nicely with the 2nd pick

6th- [pick 189]- OLB (L. Wilson) ???

7th round picks- WR Ricardo Lockette, and 2 offensive linemen

How do you think the remainder of our draft will look?  Who or what position are we drafting in the 2nd, 3rd, and so on? 

Dontay Moch is a small DE out of Nevada which will be an OLB at the NFL level.  The thing that is so amazing about this guy is that he's posting 40 times in th 4.2s....no lie.  I think he's projected to go somewhere in the 2nd or 3rd round.  What I'm thinking about is how fast he could get to a QB lined up as a blitzing LB.  I have no idea and haven't read up on any other skills but I thought it interesting that he has recorded such low and amazing 40 times.  Being that he's a DE in college he may know how to use his hands.  Is it possible to have a LB with this ability.  You could line him up on receivers.

We all know that 3 of our starting linemen (Clabo, Dahl, and Blalock) will be free agents in 2011 and it's my opinion that we'll sign 2 of the 3, namely Clabo and Blalock.  The reason that I chose those 2 is because Blalock I believe is a very good run blocker and does well in pass pro.  Clabo, is versatile and he must be pretty good if he's an alternate for the probowl.  Plus, we didn't draft Johnson in the 2nd round to hold down the pine. So I'm thinking Johnson will take Dahl's spot. 

Of course I could be wrong and we only keep one out of the three.  What do you think?

So does this mean JA98 will now come off the bench or will he just take less snaps now?  Interesting and encouraging.  Now if Sidbury can make the leap the same as Biermann, then we'll be okay at defensive end for years to come.

ESPN--July 15, 2010

Some teams will identify a problem from season-to-season and the player personnel folks will find a solution, either through the draft, a trade or a free agency pickup. In 2009, one of the Atlanta Falcons' deficiencies was in the pass-rushing department; however, none of those three options was deployed.

Instead, the team is going to go with what they've got, hoping that the return of Peria Jerry -- and the promotion of Kroy Biermann to an increased role -- will be good enough. But there is something else: the luck of the schedule draw could be on their side.

According to Daniel Cox of AtlantaFalcons.com, the team will face an easier set of opposing offensive lines this season compared to last. Thus, even though they didn't necessarily add anyone (although Jerry might be considered an add, because he missed the final 14 games in 2009), the pass-rush should be better than it was a season ago.

After reading an article on NFLFanhouse website about Kampman not really being excited about the switch to a 3-4 defense, I was thinking that he would fit nicely here in Atlanta.  Kampman, a probowl left defensive end, will now be required to play OLB in the 3-4 which means he will have to have some coverage ability.  He doesn't.  He's a pass rusher; what we need Anderson to be.  Kampman is comparable to Kerney.  On the flip side they need a 3-4 defensive end.  The players they have now are too small to successfully play DE in a 3-4.  That's where Anderson comes in.  He fits the 3-4 DE position much better.  I think both teams will benefit from this trade if it were to happen, but we may have to throw a 2010 5th round draft pick in the deal.