theProf Posted February 23, 2012 Share Posted February 23, 2012 Atlanta Falcons 7:18 p.m. Wednesday, February 22, 2012 Seven players on the Falcons' radar screenBy D. Orlando LedbetterThe Atlanta Journal-ConstitutionVanderbilt cornerback Casey Hayward, of Perry, has been working out in Boca Raton, Fla., to prepare for the NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis, which started Wednesday.<p class="leftFloat" id="cxLeftRail" jquery1330000062243="47">He went through rounds of interviews at the Senior Bowl, where he met with the Falcons, but now he wants to show the NFL that he’s fast enough to cover pro wide receivers.Hayward believes he has first-round talent, but could be available when the Falcons make their first selection, the 55th pick, in the second round of the draft, which will be held April 26-28.“People want to see how fast I’m going to run,” Hayward said by telephone Tuesday. “I’m trying to go up there and prove to everybody that I’m fast enough to run with guys at the next level.NFL Network analyst Mike Mayock has LSU’s Morris Claiborne as the top-rated cornerback in the draft. He’s followed in Mayock’s top five by Alabama’s Dre Kirkpatrick, North Alabama’s Janoris Jenkins, Montana’s Trumaine Johnson and Iowa State’s Leonard Johnson.Hayward, who started 37 games and had 15 interceptions for the Commodores, is in the next group of cornerbacks.Hayward believes he will impress teams with his knowledge of pass defense.“I feel like I can fit into [any scheme] since I’ve played it all throughout my career at Vanderbilt,” Hayward said.Here’s a list of seven players to watch closely during the combine. They all could be available when the Falcons pick:1. Coby Fleener, TE, Stanford. He will be in Indianapolis, but will not participate in the athletic drills because of a foot injury, according to Rob Rang of cbssports.com. He’s considered the top tight end in the draft by some analysts.2. Vinny Curry, DE, Marshall. “Emerged as a prolific pass rusher over his final two seasons,” according to Mel Kiper’s 2012 draft preview. “Curry is a proven and natural playmaker off the edge.”3. Leonard Johnson, DB, Iowa State. “When you get to the defensive backs and the combine, for them it is all about speed and quickness,” Mayock said. “Leonard ... plays better than he will time [in drills.] If he times poorly, he could be a fourth-round pick instead of a second-round pick.”4. Casey Hayward, DB, Vanderbilt. He is a ballhawk. Started 37 games for the Commodores and had 15 career interceptions. He was named second-team All-America by the Walter Camp Foundation and earned second-team All-SEC honors by coaches and writers.5. Kevin Zeitler, G, Wisconsin. He has been a fixture at guard for the Badgers since 2009. The Falcons would have to determine if he could win the pending all-comers competition at right guard. He would be the first Big Ten player selected by the Falcons under Dimitroff.6. Bruce Irvin, DE, West Virginia. Played at Stephenson High for coach Ron Gartrell and is considered a pass-rush specialist. Some teams view him as a 3-4 outside linebacker.7. Trumaine Johnson, DB, Montana. Mayock called Johnson “a long, physical corner.” Under Dimitroff, the Falcons have drafted two players from Montana, defensive end Kroy Biermann and safety Shann Schillinger.http://www.ajc.com/sports/atlanta-falcons/seven-players-on-the-1359101.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leftfield Posted February 23, 2012 Share Posted February 23, 2012 2 of those would be nice Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris30277 Posted February 23, 2012 Share Posted February 23, 2012 Vinny CurryCoby FleenerBrandon BoykinWould all be nice depending on what we do in FA. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rai Posted February 23, 2012 Share Posted February 23, 2012 Hayward is a pretty good corner himself, wouldn't mind him. He's projected as a 3rd round pick, atm. Don't think we go TE high this year, having extended Gonzalez and there are other priorities. Curry is good but I doubt he'll be available. Leonard Johnson is a strong physical guy, perfect for being a press corner. Zeitler is solid. Irvin has exceptional speed and explosion to rush the passer, could develop into more than just a pass rushing specialist. Trumaine Johnson is more of a zone corner, might potentially be better suited to FS. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Master Exploder Posted February 23, 2012 Share Posted February 23, 2012 (edited) I want Leonard Johnson so bad. I think he's going to be a stud in this league. He held Justin Blackmon, Kendall Wright, and Mohamed Sanu to under 100 yards this season. He's perfect for Mike Nolan's system too. Very physical guy. Edited February 23, 2012 by Master Exploder Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
delaigle Posted February 23, 2012 Share Posted February 23, 2012 Wonder why there is no OT on their Radar.FA, yes For now-- but need a young one to develop or are they counting on Reynolds? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vafalconfan Posted February 23, 2012 Share Posted February 23, 2012 I don't see Curry or Fleener being there at #55.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Knight of God Posted February 23, 2012 Share Posted February 23, 2012 Atlanta Falcons 7:18 p.m. Wednesday, February 22, 2012Seven players on the Falcons' radar screenBy D. Orlando LedbetterThe Atlanta Journal-ConstitutionVanderbilt cornerback Casey Hayward, of Perry, has been working out in Boca Raton, Fla., to prepare for the NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis, which started Wednesday.<p class="leftFloat" id="cxLeftRail" jquery1330000062243="47">He went through rounds of interviews at the Senior Bowl, where he met with the Falcons, but now he wants to show the NFL that he’s fast enough to cover pro wide receivers.Hayward believes he has first-round talent, but could be available when the Falcons make their first selection, the 55th pick, in the second round of the draft, which will be held April 26-28.“People want to see how fast I’m going to run,” Hayward said by telephone Tuesday. “I’m trying to go up there and prove to everybody that I’m fast enough to run with guys at the next level.NFL Network analyst Mike Mayock has LSU’s Morris Claiborne as the top-rated cornerback in the draft. He’s followed in Mayock’s top five by Alabama’s Dre Kirkpatrick, North Alabama’s Janoris Jenkins, Montana’s Trumaine Johnson and Iowa State’s Leonard Johnson.Hayward, who started 37 games and had 15 interceptions for the Commodores, is in the next group of cornerbacks.Hayward believes he will impress teams with his knowledge of pass defense.“I feel like I can fit into [any scheme] since I’ve played it all throughout my career at Vanderbilt,” Hayward said.Here’s a list of seven players to watch closely during the combine. They all could be available when the Falcons pick:1. Coby Fleener, TE, Stanford. He will be in Indianapolis, but will not participate in the athletic drills because of a foot injury, according to Rob Rang of cbssports.com. He’s considered the top tight end in the draft by some analysts.2. Vinny Curry, DE, Marshall. “Emerged as a prolific pass rusher over his final two seasons,” according to Mel Kiper’s 2012 draft preview. “Curry is a proven and natural playmaker off the edge.”3. Leonard Johnson, DB, Iowa State. “When you get to the defensive backs and the combine, for them it is all about speed and quickness,” Mayock said. “Leonard ... plays better than he will time [in drills.] If he times poorly, he could be a fourth-round pick instead of a second-round pick.”4. Casey Hayward, DB, Vanderbilt. He is a ballhawk. Started 37 games for the Commodores and had 15 career interceptions. He was named second-team All-America by the Walter Camp Foundation and earned second-team All-SEC honors by coaches and writers.5. Kevin Zeitler, G, Wisconsin. He has been a fixture at guard for the Badgers since 2009. The Falcons would have to determine if he could win the pending all-comers competition at right guard. He would be the first Big Ten player selected by the Falcons under Dimitroff.6. Bruce Irvin, DE, West Virginia. Played at Stephenson High for coach Ron Gartrell and is considered a pass-rush specialist. Some teams view him as a 3-4 outside linebacker.7. Trumaine Johnson, DB, Montana. Mayock called Johnson “a long, physical corner.” Under Dimitroff, the Falcons have drafted two players from Montana, defensive end Kroy Biermann and safety Shann Schillinger.http://www.ajc.com/s...he-1359101.htmlBest list I've seen in years. This being a bad Draft year, that's very good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theProf Posted February 23, 2012 Author Share Posted February 23, 2012 Vinny CurryCoby FleenerBrandon BoykinWould all be nice depending on what we do in FA.Although Boykin wasn't mentioned in this particular article, we do know that the Falcons had expressed an interest in Brandon Boykin and interviewed him at the Senior Bowl. From an earlier Ledbetter article as follows:By D. Orlando LedbetterThe Atlanta Journal-ConstitutionMOBILE — In his quest to impress NFL scouts, coaches and general managers, former Georgia standout Brandon Boykin picked up another position Tuesday.<p class="leftFloat" id="cxLeftRail" jquery1330021874875="47">The cornerback, punt returner, kickoff returner and running back saw action at safety during the South’s full contact practice Tuesday.“Yeah, that was a little different for me,” Boykin said. “It’s similar to the slot. I played some nickel in college. It’s pretty much the same. [Washington Redskins defensive backs coach Raheem Morris] made sure that when I went to safety, it was a [man-to-man] coverage opportunity in the slot. I felt like I did fine.”Boykin’s versatility has been his calling card this week on the field and during his interviews with the teams. He’s interviewed with more than 10 teams, including the Falcons, Dallas, Baltimore, Philadelphia and Carolina.“I just want to be able to play as many positions as I can,” Boykin said. “I just want to get on the field and make an impact for as many plays as I can.”Morris, former head coach for Tampa Bay, has been impressed with Boykin’s skill-set.“Brandon is going out there and using his lateral quickness,” Morris said. “He’s doing a nice job at corner and safety. Obviously, that transition should be good for him. He can do a lot of those different things, and the more things you do in this league, the better.”The experiment with Boykin, a cornerback by trade, likely will be noticed NFL-wide as defenses try to catch up to the pass-happy offenses. This season, 10 quarterbacks passed for more than 4,000 yards, three for more than 5,000. The Falcons’ Matt Ryan passed for a team-record 4,177 yards, which ranked eighth in the league.“The traditional role of safety isn’t the same anymore because of the way we are playing the game,” NFL Network analyst Charles Davis said. “I’ve had a number of coaches tell me that they would love to have four corners to play in the defensive backfield.”ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper ranks Boykin at No. 11 among senior cornerbacks. Boykin hopes to improve his standing with a good showing at the Senior Bowl.“He’s going to battle the heck out of you when he’s playing at the corner position,” Davis said.“He has that ‘It’ factor that goes into [the evaluation] because he’s going to compete on every snap.”Boykin is listed at 5-foot-9 1/4 and 183 pounds.“I can’t do anything about my height or how I was born,” Boykin said. “But what I can do is show my drive and determination. I can control all of that. Just giving 100 percent on every play has got me to where I am today, and I’m going to continue to do that.”LSU’s Morris Claiborne, Alabama’s Dre Kirkpatrick and Nebraska’s Alfonzo Dennard are considered the top cornerbacks in the 2012 draft class.“That’s something that I really don’t feed into,” Boykin said. “Being on national championship-level teams [Claiborne and Kirkpatrick] got a little more publicity than what we did, but at the same time the media isn’t exactly right all the time. Who’s to say that I’m not up there with them?All I can do is control what I do out here on the field, just continue to do that and hopefully things will work out.”Some scouts have compared Boykin with Tampa Bay’s Ronde Barber (5-10, 184) because of their similar size.“Hopefully I can stay in the league as long as he has,” Boykin said. “But my favorite corner is Charles Woodson. He’s the player that I try to model my game after. He’s very versatile.”http://www.ajc.com/sports/atlanta-falcons/brandon-boykins-versatility-on-1315759.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Rob 64 Posted February 23, 2012 Share Posted February 23, 2012 Wonder why there is no OT on their Radar.FA, yes For now-- but need a young one to develop or are they counting on Reynolds?Because there aren't any who can be counted on to play that will be available in our non-draft-pick-having draft. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PokerSteve Posted February 23, 2012 Share Posted February 23, 2012 Best list I've seen in years. This being a bad Draft year, that's very good.Yep. Very impressive group. Love to have Curry especially. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big_D Posted February 23, 2012 Share Posted February 23, 2012 Very talented group to pick from. Hopefully we end up with some desperately needed help. I'm willing to bet we have a rookie or two that actually earn a starting spot. Wouldn't that be a kick in the groin to a couple of aging current players? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Falcon Fanatic Posted February 23, 2012 Share Posted February 23, 2012 I hope we take Boykin and let worthless Weems go somewhere else in FA. That guy could be a difference maker at returning punts and kickoffs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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