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Thomas Dimitroff’s five best picks as Falcons GM

By Jeff Benedict

TAMPA, FLORIDA - DECEMBER 30: Matt Ryan #2 of the Atlanta Falcons watches Falcons defense during the fourth quarter against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium on December 30, 2018 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)
TAMPA, FLORIDA - DECEMBER 30: Matt Ryan #2 of the Atlanta Falcons watches Falcons defense during the fourth quarter against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium on December 30, 2018 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images) /
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Fast and physical. This is what Dan Quinn had in Seattle and this is what he wanted to create here in Atlanta in hopes of replicating the success that they had during his short stint in the Emerald City.

As previously mentioned the fast and physical defense started to take shape with the addition of big hitter Keanu Neal who was taken 17th overall. Then in the 2nd round they went speed over just about every other metric when they took LSU LB Deion Jones. If drafting Neal at 17th was puzzling, this move was flat-out ridiculous. Dimitroff would draft a guy that was not even a full-time starter for LSU and had shown little to no signs of being able to be a special teams player let alone a guy that should have been drafted as high as he was.

The naysayers could not have been more wrong. Deion Jones has come to Atlanta and given us spectacular play after play. My favorite? The Thursday Night game vs New Orleans in 2017  Jones has quickly become the best cover linebacker in the National Football League and his injury in 2018 set the tone for the decline that the Falcons defense would experience.

Dimitroff found his diamond in the rough for the second straight draft, proving yet again that not all measurables need to be met in order to find a star in the NFL draft, there are times that the standard measurables will allow you to overlook a guy that will transform your team and this is exactly what Deion Jones is helping to do on the defensive side of the football.

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