 |  No. 3 |  Pick by The FalcoholicJake Long Offensive Tackle Michigan |
SBNation NFL Mock Draft, Pick 3: The Atlanta Falcons Select...
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After the Rams’ upset pick (see below post), the Atlanta Falcons are giddy about using their third overall selection to take Jake Long, OT, Michigan. Dave the Falconer, head blogger at SB Nation’s Falcons blog, The Falcoholic, made the selection and provided this analysis:
We in the world of sports tend to bandy about the term "no-brainer" quite a bit. Oftentimes, the can't miss prospect everyone pleads for turns out to require a little more brain--or cause a few more headaches--than anticipated.
With that said, this pick really was a no-brainer for the Falcons. After enduring perhaps the most gruesome season of our sad-sack history in 2007, change was clearly needed. A new general manager and new coach who seem to buy into the idea of building a team from the ground up are the results, and I for one couldn’t be more excited. Everything they’ve indicated in interviews points to them avoiding QB Matt Ryan and trying to fill the team’s most desperate need: the offensive line.
That’s why Jake Long makes sense here. He’s got terrific size, good footwork and some kung-fu blocking skills that will serve the Falcons well. He’ll step in and immediately improve that most critical spot on the line at left tackle, and he has little to nothing in the way of character or injury concerns. He’s quite simply a safe, solid and smart pick at #3, which makes him perfect for a rebuilding team.
The Falcons can get a potential franchise quarterback in the early second round this year, but there were no other Jake Longs. In the end, he’s exactly what a long-suffering fanbase needs to see - a sigil of stability.
Matt Miller, host of this site as well as owner of New Era Scouting, provides his analysis below:
A very solid, if not surprising, pick for Atlanta. The franchise is clearly rebuilding their image and their strategy. Long will give Atlanta a bookend tackle for the next decade, something every team covets. He's a mauler in the running game, with the new task of opening holes for free agent Michael Turner. The Falcons have looked past the obvious need at quarterback, but with so many picks in the top two rounds, they can afford to wait. Atlanta must address the need at quarterback, as well as adding a cornerback to replace DeAngelo Hall. While Long will definitely help immediately, this is a best player available pick.
Grade: B :: Jake Long Scouting Report - New Era Scouting :: Matt Miller's Top 5 Prospects Remaining -- 1. RB Darren McFadden, 2. DT Glenn Dorsey, 3. QB Matt Ryan, 4. DT Sedrick Ellis, 5. CB Leodis McKelvin
Along we roll! We’ve got two more picks coming your way today (next posting: 3PM ET) with the Oakland Raiders, represented by Silver and Black Pride, on the clock! The fifth pick will follow later on this evening.
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