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2014 NFL Draft: Atlanta Falcons select Jake Matthews with 6th overall pick

By Carlos Collazo

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Oct 26, 2013; College Station, TX, USA; Texas A&M Aggies offensive linesman Jake Matthews (75) warms up against the Vanderbilt Commodores before the game at Kyle Field. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Campbell-USA TODAY Sports

For their first pick in the 2014 NFL Draft, the Atlanta Falcons have selected Jake Matthews of Texas A&M with the 6th overall pick of the draft. The draft developed perfectly for the Falcons, who had both Matthews and Taylor Lewan of Michigan to choose between without trading up.

Both Brad and myself have been singing the praises of Jake Matthews for a while now, and said this about him in our ideal scenario piece earlier today:

Brad:

"Realistically? This should be the best offensive tackle available. If Auburn’s Greg Robinson is (miraculously) there, he’s the pick. If Texas A&M’s Jake Matthews is there, he’s the pick. If they’re both gone, Michigan’s Taylor Lewan jumps to the forefront."

Carlos:

"I’ve liked Matthews since just about day one and have been pretty vocal (for a baseball guy) about it. For me, Matthews is one of the most sure bets in this draft and will immediately be able to step into the left tackle position and help out Matt Ryan and the running backs.Some have argued that Sam Baker should be given another shot next year… and I agree. But, let’s move him over to right tackle and hope that he turns into a decent player there. If that happens, then the Falcons start to have a pretty solid O-line."

Here’s a quick look at the Falcons’ first round selections dating back to 2001:

Clearly, the Falcons have had some success with their selections during the first round and Thomas Dimitroff (along with every Falcons fan who’s been waiting for this selection) will be hoping that this trend continues.

What do you guys think about this pick?

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