Faced with a daunting rebuilding project in Atlanta, first-year Falcons GM Thomas Dimitroff handled his debut as a personnel chief like a battle-tested veteran. He chose to cross quarterback off his wish list first, drafting Boston College QB Matt Ryan with the third pick and then traded back into the first round to secure USC OT Sam Baker. It’s always a particularly glaring risk to use a top-10 pick on a quarterback, but Dimitroff showed some spine, sticking with Ryan rather than addressing needs on the offensive or defensive lines. Baker was added to create some much-needed protection for Ryan. Dimitroff largely shifted his attention to defense after the opening round, nabbing a good value pick, Oklahoma ILB Curtis Lofton, and revamping the secondary with the selections of LSU CB Chevis Jackson and Cal S Thomas DeCoud. Lofton is a physical presence and could challenge for a starting job. Jackson, an instinctive ballhawk, and DeCoud, who should be solid in run support, also have starter potential. WR Harry Douglas has a slender frame, but he does his best to make up for it with toughness and should find a way into the WR rotation. The Falcons took a pair of outside linebackers in the fifth round, selecting Robert James and Kroy Biermann. Each of them could make an impact on special teams right off the bat. Georgia RB Thomas Brown doesn’t have the build to be an every-down back, but he could develop into a nice change-of-pace option. With two seventh-round picks, Atlanta added CB Wilrey Fontenot, an aggressive, but undersized, corner and Keith Zinger, a blocking tight end — both of whom could be challenged to make the roster.
