May 4, 2013; Flowery Branch, GA, USA; Atlanta Falcons tight end Levine Toilolo (80) shown on the field at Falcons Rookie Camp at the Falcons Training Facility. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

As the dust continues to settle from the quake that was the 2013 NFL Draft, I will be taking a look at Atlanta’s ’13 Rookie Class, predicting the role they could (or should) have on the upcoming season. In the first segment of “Examining Roles”, I will be taking a look at Dimitroff’s 4th round selection: Levine Toilolo.

Coming out of High School, Toilolo was a standout as a athlete and a student. He attended Helix High; home to phenom athletes Reggie Bush and THE Steve Smith. He was recruited by universities such as Cal, UF, and Stanford, choosing in the end to attend Stanford along with one of 2008′s top QB prospects Andrew Luck. While Andrew’s collegiate career got off to an amazingly hot start, Toilolo’s was hampered with a leg and ACL injury. He was then relegated to a blocking role, but was still able to show off some of his athleticism from time-to-time. Levine ended his Stanford campaign with 50 receptions for 763 yards and 10 touchdowns; hardly a pro-caliber stat-stamp by NCAA standards. But, his stats don’t quite tell the story of what he could be capable of in the right surroundings.

At 6’8, 265 pounds, Toilolo is quite fleet-footed for a man of his weight and stature. He comes from a bloodline of pro athletes, the most notable being his uncle Edwin Mulitalo who earned a Super Bowl ring with the 2000 Baltimore Ravens. He reminds me of Leonard Pope from UGA a few years back; Tall, atheletic with subpar hands and average blocking skills. As much as I like Levine, he seems like more of a ‘miss’ than a ‘hit’ prospect. He needs to work on his hands, route-running, and overall technique if he hopes to become a starting tight end in the NFL. I doubt he will get a lot of playing time his first year, but he will get to learn from one of the best to ever put on pads in Tony Gonzalez. It will be all about baby-steps for Toilolo…

I could see him getting a few snaps in the red-zone, as his height and jumping ability could pose mismatches for defenders. He could also be used in run-heavy formations as a extra blocker. Outside of that, most of his time will be spent riding the pine learning as much as he can from Chris Scelfo (TE’s coach) and Tony. I’m not looking for him to explode on the scene and I don’t think anybody else should either. This is a developmental year for Levine Toilolo, but I don’t think he could’ve been drafted into a better situation…

2013-14 season stats prediction

Yards- 184

Touchdowns- 4

Jan 20, 2013; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Falcons head coach Mike Smith talks to defensive end John Abraham (55) during the second quarter of the NFC Championship game against the San Francisco 49ers at the Georgia Dome. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

Fans who were hoping  for a John Abraham-Atlanta Falcons reunion of sorts shouldn’t prolong their torment any longer. Sources have said that John will be taking his talents to Tennessee for 2013-14 season. Many fans may be disappointed, but shouldn’t be surprised with his decision. John Abraham was cut before he was due a 5.75 million payday for the upcoming season, and that may have left a bitter taste in his mouth and played a part in him not returning. He put out a tweet as a response to those dismayed by his choice

https://twitter.com/johnabraham55/status/331489815512092673

John Abraham may not have liked the way things ended in Atlanta, but I appreciate him for everything he’s done. It was fun to watch him terrorize QB’s in his prime, and I wish him much success in Tennessee.

Could 6’6, 350 pound NT Kwame Geathers be Dimitroff’s next pick?

The Atlanta Falcons first two selections didn’t surprise me, even though I lobbied against selecting Desmond Trufant for weeks leading up to the start of the draft. At the end of the day, I do trust GM Thomas Dimitroff to make the right decision for the team. We needed two or three corners, we drafted two very talented ones in the first two rounds.

Now it’s time to change the focus…

There is still plenty of value to be had in the later rounds. But, I think defensive line should be the focus of the two 4th round picks. We now have 4 solid starting-caliber CB’s on the roster (Samuel, McClain, Trufant, Alford), so we can afford to bolster the front-line of the defense for at least 2-3 picks. There are two HUGE prospects that I have my eye on, and if the Falcons can get both (It’s definitely a possibility) I would have so much confidence in the defense going into the season.

I’m sure many fans remember the problems D-block had with stopping runs up the middle. Atlanta’s D-line was FAR too thin at tackle and it showed in just about every game this season. I heard that this was to Mike Smith’s preference. I guess he was trying to build a line similar to Detroit’s were you have to explosive DT’s in the middle to disrupt and get in the quarterback’s face. Well, that approach hasn’t worked, so I think it’s time for a change. We need someone with size and strength, two anchors that can’t be moved on run downs and keeps guards from getting to the second level.

Kwame Geathers and TJ Barnes are two players I have my eye on in the draft. Both are very raw, but if they go to a team with a good coach that can help them work on their technique, they could be the sequel to John Henderson/Marcus Stroud. Guess who the Jags D-line coach was when those two were wreaking havoc?….Mike Smith. I think Mike Smith could help to add some polish to their game, because both are FAR (and I mean FAR) from the finished product that John and Marcus were coming out of college, but the athleticism, size, and length is there. They could be situational players coming in (due to their conditioning), but could develop into full-time starters within 2 years.

With that being said, it’s hard to predict which way Dimitroff will go when it comes to the draft, so the likelihood that he double-dips at DT with the next two picks is slim. He may look at a linebacker or two, but in my opinion the D-line can’t be ignored any longer. I hope TD has his eye on at least one of the two DT’s I mentioned.