Atlanta Falcons 2014 NFL Draft, Round 1: All you need to know

Dec 31, 2013; Atlanta, GA, USA; Texas A&M Aggies offensive linesman Jake Matthews (75) on the bench against the Duke Blue Devils during the first quarter in the 2013 Chick-fil-a Bowl at the Georgia Dome. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

ESPN Mock Draft has Jake Matthews going to Falcons

Todd McShay of ESPN.com ($) had this to say about Matthews as he projected him to the Atlanta Falcons:

"The Falcons need to improve at the tackle position, coming off a season in which franchise QB Matt Ryan was sacked a career-high 44 times (previous high: 28). Matthews would provide help as an experienced and effective blocker in the running and passing games. His versatility to play either tackle spot adds to his value because it would give Atlanta the option of keeping Sam Baker on the left side or moving him over to the right."

The Falcons have reportedly worked out Matthews during the process, and judging by a compilation of mocks around the internet, he is the “consensus” pick if Atlanta stays put at the number six spot. In this space, we have been high on Matthews dating back to January (when we “selected” him in the FanSided mock draft), and he seems to be an incredibly safe option.

To be honest, selecting the no-frills guy like Matthews wouldn’t bring a great deal of buzz to the process for the fan base, but sometimes, that isn’t a bad thing. We will all wait while holding our breath until Thursday night, but until the pick is in, nothing is certain.