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Re: Pre-Draft Private Workouts/interviews - Question


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I posed this question a couple of years ago, but I still wonder the answer. How many players that we brought in for private workouts and interviews have we wound up drafting?

I guess someone would have to compile a list every year of every workout and visit we conduct, and then compare it to the actual draft that year.

I know in years past we've drafted guys that we never brought in for a workout, and passed on guys in which we were showing pre-draft interest.

We're bringing in the top passrushers, and at best we'll only get one of those, but some of the other visits are intriguing, especially Nick Marshall and Dorsett from Miami.

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All part of the smoke and mirrors that accompanies the draft process. Teams don't want to tip their hands about their draft plans to other teams lest a rival snatches a player you really want

Yeah I wouldn't expect anyone here to figure out any sort of Rosetta Stones for visits turning into draft picks, but it's an interesting thought.

Someone actually posted the full list a year or two ago. I can't quite remember but there were a good bit. There was also a pattern seen from the players brought in and targeted positions in the draft

Huh, I must have missed that, but that's exactly what I'm talking about.

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Falcons usually draft several playera they visit or workout. Sometimes the media doesn't get wind or report on all of the names. They use quite a few on late round an UDFA types. I read that Seattle does those visits as recruitments of sorts.

I'm sure there are multiple targets in each round.

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Here's the thread from 2014: http://boards.atlantafalcons.com/topic/3996660-2014-prospects-the-falcons-have-shown-interest-in/?hl=%2Bprospects+%2Bfalcons+%2Bhave+%2Bshown+%2Binterest

Here's everyone on the list that we wound up drafting or bringing in as a UDFA:

Jake Matthews (Combine, Pro Day, visit, private workout)
Ra'Shede Hageman (coached at Senior Bowl, Pro Day, private workout)
Dezmen Southward (coached at Senior Bowl)
Devonta Freeman (Pro Day, visit)
Prince Shembo (Pro Day, private workout)
Ricardo Allen (private workout)
Yawin Smallwood (private workout)
Kimario McFadden (private workout)
James Stone (Pro Day)

We were also heavily linked to Ryan Shazier and Dee Ford, both of whom we know TD tried to trade back up into the 1st round to get. And also to Demarcus Lawrence, who we possibly would have taken in the 2nd round had the Cowboys not moved in front of us to get him.

So as you can see, the only players we drafted who we weren't publicly linked to in any way were Marquis Spruill and Tyler Starr.

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I posed this question a couple of years ago, but I still wonder the answer. How many players that we brought in for private workouts and interviews have we wound up drafting?

I guess someone would have to compile a list every year of every workout and visit we conduct, and then compare it to the actual draft that year.

I know in years past we've drafted guys that we never brought in for a workout, and passed on guys in which we were showing pre-draft interest.

We're bringing in the top passrushers, and at best we'll only get one of those, but some of the other visits are intriguing, especially Nick Marshall and Dorsett from Miami.

I did some research into this very issue several years ago. It appeared that about half of Atlanta's draft choices, since Dimitroff has been GM, had a personal workout/visit with the Falcons. Usually it was the earlier round draft picks, and not so much the later round picks. Not all private workouts/visits are public knowledge before the draft though. I recall that we did not know that Sam Baker or Peria Jerry had a personal workout with the Falcons until after the draft was over, but not beforehand.

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Here's the list of players we privately worked out or visited in 2014 who we did NOT draft, but wound up being drafted or signed as UDFAs. You can kind of piece around and guess at who we may have been interested at but couldn't get based on our known interested and where players were drafted.

For example, we may have wanted West or McKinnon, but settled for Freeman.

I'm still stunned we didn't draft a wide receiver last year, based on how talented the draft class was and how many we showed interest in.

It's also pretty crappy that the best pass rusher we could come away with was Prince Shembo, although give TD credit for trying to trade back up for Ford or Shazier, I guess.

RB Jeremy Hill, LSU (drafted by Bengals in 2nd round, pick 55)
RB Carlos Hyde, Ohio State (drafted by 49ers in 2nd round, pick 57)
RB Terrance West, Towson (drafted by Browns in 3rd round, pick 94)
RB Jerick McKinnon, Georgia Southern (drafted by Vikings in 3rd round, pick 96)
RB De'Anthony Thomas, Oregon (drafted by Chiefs in 4th round, pick 124)
RB Storm Johnson, UCF (drafted by Jaguars in 7th round, pick 222)
RB Brandon Oliver, Buffalo (UFDA by Colts, wound up starting for Chargers)

FB Jay Prosch, Auburn (drafted by Texans in 6th round, pick 211)

WR Marqise Lee, USC (drafted by Jaguars in 2nd round, pick 39)
WR Jordan Matthews, Vanderbilt (drafted by Eagles in 2nd round, pick 42)
WR Jarvis Landry, LSU (drafted by Dolphins in Round 2, pick 63)
WR Donte Moncrief, Ole Miss (drafted by Colts in 3rd round, pick 90)
WR Jalen Saunders, Oklahoma (drafted by Jets in 4th round, pick 104; is now on Saints)
WR Bruce Ellington, South Carolina (drafted by 49ers in 4th round, pick 106)
WR Shaq Evans, UCLA (drafted by Jets in 4th round, pick 115)
WR Martavis Bryant, Clemson (drafted by Steelers in 4th round, pick 118)

TE Jace Amaro, Texas Tech (drafted by Jets in 2nd round, pick 49)
TE C.J. Fiedorowicz, Iowa (drafted by Texans in 3rd round, pick 65)
TE Arthur Lynch, Georgia (drafted by Dolphins in 5th round, pick 155)
TE Xavier Grimble, USC (UDFA by Giants; now a PS member for 49ers)

OT Greg Robinson, Auburn (drafted by Rams in 1st round, pick 2)
OT Taylor Lewan, Michigan (drafted by Titans in Round 1, pick 11)
OT Jack Mewhort, Ohio State (drafted by Colts in Round 2, pick 59)
OT Cameron Fleming, Stanford (drafted by Patriots in Round 4, pick 140)
OT Wesley Johnson, Vanderbilt (drafted by Steelers in Round 5, pick 173; is now on Jets)

OG Xavier Su'a-Filo, UCLA (drafted by Texans in Round 2, pick 33)
OG Spencer Long, Nebraska (drafted by Redskins in Round 3, pick 78)
OG Trai Turner, LSU (drafted by Panthers in Round 3, pick 92)
OG Zach Fulton, Tennessee (drafted by Chiefs in Round 6, pick 193)
OG Charles Leno, Boise State (drafted by Bears in Round 7, pick 246)

C Corey Linsley, Ohio State (drafted by Packers in Round 5, pick 161)

DE Jadeveon Clowney, South Carolina (drafted by Texans in Round 1, pick 1)
DE Demarcus Lawrence, Boise State (drafted by Cowboys in Round 2, pick 34)
DE Kony Ealy, Missouri (drafted by Panthers in Round 2, pick 60)
DE Scott Crichton, Oregon State (drafted by Vikings in Round 3, pick 72)
DE Josh Mauro, Stanford (UDFA by Steelrers; now on Cardinals)

DT Zach Kerr, Delaware (UDFA by Colts)

OLB Khalil Mack, Buffalo (drafted by Raiders in Round 1, pick 5)
OLB Anthony Barr, UCLA (drafted by Vikings in Round 1, pick 9)
OLB Dee Ford, Auburn (drafted by Chiefs in Round 1, pick 23)
OLB Marcus Smith, Louisville (drafted by Eagles in Round 1, pick 26)
OLB Kyle Van Noy, BYU (drafted by Lions in Round 2, pick 40)
OLB Trent Murphy, Stanford (drafted by Redskins in Round 2, pick 47)
OLB Jeremiah Attaochu, Georgia Tech (drafted by Chargers in Round 2, pick 50)
OLB Carl Bradford, Arizona State (drafted by Packers in Round 4, pick 121)
OLB Kevin Pierre-Louis, Boston College (drafted by Seahawks in Round 4, pick 132)
OLB Telvin Smith, Florida State (drafted by Jaguars in Round 5, pick 144)
OLB Jordan Tripp, Montana (drafted by Dolphins in Round 5, pick 171)
OLB Brandon Watts, Georgia Tech (drafted by Vikings in Round 7, pick 223)
OLB Jackson Jeffcoat, Texas (UDFA by Seahawks; now on Redskins)

ILB Ryan Shazier, Ohio State (drafted by Steelers in Round 1, pick 15)
ILB Preston Brown, Louisville (drafted by Bills in Round 3, pick 73)
ILB Jordan Zumwalt, UCLA (drafted by Steelers in Round 6, pick 192)
ILB Christian Jones, FSU (UDFA by Bears)

CB Justin Gilbert, Oklahoma State (drafted by Browns in Round 1, pick 8)
CB Kyle Fuller, Virginia Tech (drafted by Bears in Round 1, pick 14)
CB Jason Verrett, TCU (drafted by Chargers in Round 1, pick 25)
CB Jaylen Watkins, Florida (drafted by Eagles in Round 4, pick 101)
CB walt Aikens, Liberty (drafted by Lions in Round 4, pick 125)
CB Nevin Lawson, Utah State (drafted by Lions in Round 4, pick 133)

FS HaHa Clinton-Dix, Alabama (drafted by Packers in Round 1, pick 21)
FS Brock Vereen, Minnesota (drafted by Bears in Round 4, Pick 131)
FS Ed Reynolds, Stanford (drafted by Eagles in Round 5, pick 162)
FS Antone Exum, Virginia Tech (drafted by Vikings in Round 6, pick 182)
FS Jemea Thomas, Georgia Tech (drafted by Titans in Round 6, pick 206)
FS Kenny Ladler, Vanderbilt (UDFA by Bills)

SS Calvin Pryor, Louisville (drafted by Jets in Round 1, Pick 18)
SS Jimmie Ward, Northern Illinois (drafted by 49ers in Round 1, Pick 30)

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And here's the ongoing thread for 2015:

http://boards.atlantafalcons.com/topic/4021534-2015-draft-prospects-the-falcons-have-shown-interest-in/

Here are the players we've privately met or worked out so far:

RB Jay Ajayi, Boise State - 2nd round
RB David Cobb, Minnesota - 3rd/4th round
RB Mike Davis, South Carolina - 4th round
RB Terrell Watson, Asuza Pacific - Undrafted

WR Phillip Dorsett, Miami - 2nd/3rd round
WR Sammie Coates, Auburn - 1st/2nd round
WR Ty Montgomery, Stanford - 5th/6th round
WR Devin Gardner, Michigan - undrafted

TE Maxx Williams, Minnesota - 1st/2nd round
TE/WR Devin Funchess, Michigan - 2nd/3rd round

TE Blake Bell, Oklahoma - 5th/6th round
TE Wes Saxton, South ALabama - 6th round

OT Ereck Flowers, Miami - 1st round
OT Tyler Sambrailo, Colorado State - 3rd round
OT Chaz Green, Florida - 6th/7th round

OG Cody Wichmann, Fresno State - undrafted

DE/OLB Vic Beasley, Clemson - Top 10
DE/OLB Shane Ray, Missouri - Top 10
DE/OLB Bud Dupree, Kentucky - Top 20
DE/OLB Randy Gregory, Nebraska - 1st/2nd round
DE Za'Darius Smith, Kentucky - 4th round

DT Gabe Wright, Auburn - 4th round
DT Tory Slater, WEst Georgia - undrafted

OLB Max Valles, UVA - 4th/5th round

ILB Paul Dawson, TCU - 2nd/3rd round

CB Kevin Johnson, Wake Forest - 1st/2nd round
CB/FS Josh Shaw, USC - 3rd round
CB Nick Marshall, Auburn - 6th round
CB Tray Walker, Texas Southern - undrafted

FS Damarious Randall, Arizona State - 3rd/4th round
FS/SS Anthony Harris, UVA - 3rd/4th round

Projected draft status is from CBS Sports and Drafttek for each prospect.

I'm personally a little concerned we're showing such little interest in OGs, but there's still plenty of time for us to be linked to more prospects. I really like a lot of the players on this list.

1st - LEO Vic Beasley, Shane Ray, or Bud Dupree

2nd - TE Maxx Williams / LB Paul Dawson

3rd - WR Philip Dorsett / FS Anthony Harris or Damarious Randall

4th - RB David Cobb or Mike Davis

5th - TE Blake Bell / LB Max Valles

6th - CB Nick Marshall

I could be really down for a draft similar to that, based on players above. We can't expect to fill all of our holes in the draft, so if we don't come away with a LG, WR, FS, etc., it's to be expected.

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Which NFL prospects have met with the Atlanta Falcons?
April 6, 2015| Filed in: Uncategorized.

FLOWERY BRANCH — With the NFL draft set for April 30 through May 2, the Falcons are set to close out with a round of private workouts around the country with the Pro Day workouts winding down.

The Falcons try to keep a tight lid on the prospects they work out and have in for visits, but last season they departed from that when the let Central Florida running back Storm Johnson post a picture of him, Ohio State’s Ryan Shazier and UCLA’s Anthony Barr to twitter from the team facilities.

The most most intriguing private workout has been the one held for Vic Beasley in Clemson on March 30. The Falcons, in dire need of an improved pass rush, have closely watch Beasley, Missouri’s Shane Ray, Florida’s Dante Fowler Jr and Kentucky’s Bud Dupree.

They have not been connected to Nebraska’s Randy Gregory, who’s stock is dropping after a failed drug test at the combine.

Here’s a list of the prospects that have been linked to the Falcons since the Senior Bowl in January.

We will keep this updated leading up to the draft.

SENIOR BOWL

Nick Boyle, TE, Delaware

Phillip Dorsett, WR, Miami (Has a workout scheduled)

Jordan Hicks, OLB, Texas

Grady Jarrett, DT, Clemson

Devin Mahina, TE, Brigham Young

Denzel Perryman, OLB/ILB, Miami (Scheduled meeting for April 12)

JaCorey Shepherd, CB, Kansas

EAST-WEST SHRINE BOWL

Sam Carter, S, TCU

Justin Coleman, CB, Tennessee

B.J. Finney, C, Kansas State

Devin Gardner, QB/WR, Michigan

Chucky Hunter, DT, TCU

Zach Zenner, FB/RB, South Dakota State

Addison Richards, WR, Regina

Aaron Ripkowski, FB, Oklahoma

PRO DAY

Jay Ajayi, RB, Boise State

Vic Beasley, DE/OLB, Clemson

Bud Dupree, OLB/DE, Kentucky

Toddy Gurley, RB, Georgia

Corey Grant, RB, Auburn

Nick Marshall, FS/QB/CB, Auburn (Also worked out for team)

Austin Shepherd, OT, Alabama

NFL SCOUTING COMBINE

Arik Armstead, DT/DE, Oregon

Landon Collins, S, Alabama

Dante Fowler Jr., DE/OLB, Florida

Blake Sims, QB, Alabama

PRIVATE WORKOUT/VISIT

Vic Beasley, DE/OLB, Clemson

Chris Bonner, QB, Colorado State-Pueblo (scheduled)

Blake Bell, TE, Oklahoma

Paul Dawson, OLB/ILB, TCU

Ereck Flowers, OT, Miami

Chaz Green, OT, Florida

Vince Mayle, FB/WR, Washington State

Ty Montgomery, WR, Stanford

Shane Ray, OLB/DE, Missouri

Shaq Thompson, OLB, Washington (scheduled)

Clive Walford, TE, Miami

Tray Walker, CB, Texas Southern

Terrell Watson, RB, Azusa Pacific

Gabe Wright, DT, Auburn

ATTENDING FALCONS’ LOCALS DAY – TUESDAY, APRIL 7

James Vaughters, DE/OLB, Stanford

Mike Davis, RB, South Carolina

Tory Slater, DT/DE, West Georgia

Norman Hayes, CB, Harvard

Rory “Busta” Anderson, TE, South Carolina

John Mincy, CB, Auburn

Mike Thornton, DT, Georgia

Amarlo Herrera, ILB, Georgia

Gary Peters, CB, Clemson

DeAndre Smelter, WR, Georgia Tech

http://atlantafalcons.blog.ajc.com/2015/04/06/which-nfl-prospects-have-met-with-the-atlanta-falcons/?ecmp=ajc_social_twitter_2014_falcons_sfp

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