Two Players Dimitroff Should Target In The 4th Round…

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.