Atlanta Falcons 2014 NFL Draft, Rounds 2-3: All you need to know
Missouri Tigers defensive lineman Kony Ealy (47) during the game against the Oklahoma State Cowboys in the 2014 Cotton Bowl at AT&T Stadium. Missouri won 41-31. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
Potential Targets
Defensive players that the Falcons could have been interested in started to fall yesterday late in the first round with Kansas City taking defensive end Dee Ford–the first DE since Jadeveon Clowney was taken with the first overall pick.
The Dee Ford dream is over for the Falcons.
— ATL All Day (@ATLBeatBlog) May 9, 2014
As the first round was progressing, we mentioned several players that could be targets for the Falcons:
Dee Ford, Demarcus Lawrence and Kony Ealy are all still on the board. Potential Falcons DE targets.
— ATL All Day (@ATLBeatBlog) May 9, 2014
Carl Bradford and Kyle Van Noy are outside linebackers that could be targets as well. #NFLDraft
— ATL All Day (@ATLBeatBlog) May 9, 2014
Obviously, Ford’s not on the table anymore, but several of the guys listed above are still available and could help out in the pass rush. In addition, there is a local product in Georgia Tech defensive end Jeremiah Attaochu, and we have been touting a potential partnership between the two sides for nearly a month.
Aside from pass rushers, the dirty birds could be looking for some help at the back end. At safety, Florida State’s Terrence Brooks and Minnesota’s Brock Vereen are the two biggest names left, while there is always the possibility that Atlanta could aim to beef up its defensive interior with a defensive tackle like Louis Nix III from Notre Dame or Timmy Jernigan from Florida State.
All told, there are several scenarios, but once again, the Falcons won’t wait long to make a pick. Stay tuned.