Before you read my mock draft, please take the time to watch at least one video or two of the player. It will definetly help to make your mind up on a certain player or two. You can find most of the players and very good scouting videos on this site. Courtesy of Sports Illustrated. Also, below the names of LaRon Landry, Kenny Scott, Paul Williams, and Dwayne Wright, I posted some additional videos to help convince you of that player. Courtesy of YouTube.Atlanta Falcons 2007 NFL Mock Draftby Matt LibidApril 5, 2007First Round: <span style="color:gray">Laron Landry</span> Safety | Senior | L.S.U.6'1" 213 lbs. <span style="color:red">4.35</span>YoutubeWhen we traded up two overall picks in the first round of the draft, I was convinced that Atlanta was aiming to draft LaRon Landry. However, when the Minnesota Vikings signed former-Colts safety Mike Doss to a new deal, I was assured that when LaRon Landry falls to the eighth overall pick, there's no chance that Atlanta would pass on him. It's obvious that Atlanta needs a ball hawk in their secondary besides DeAngelo Hall. Chris Crocker and Lawyer Milloy was an addition to the team last year. However, Lawyer Milloy isn't getting any younger as we speak, and Chris Crocker hasn't really been impressive much either. Those two safeties weren't exactly the best pair for our secondary either. Our secondary is nothing with just DeAngelo Hall being the only obvious playmaker. With Laron Landry, we have a playmaker that will bring power, skill, and intimidation to the safety and maybe even cornerback position. Laron Landry fits our team needs perfectly. He can keep up with almost all of the recievers in the league, he can tackle (hard), and he's got great run coverage skills to go along with his solid pass coverage abilities. The reason why I drafted Laron Landry over Reggie Nelson is simple. In a handful of games that I've watched Reggie Nelson play for Florida, I've seen him give up on many plays. Landry hussles his behind off on practically all the plays I've seen him play in. Reggie Nelson didn't impress much with his performance in the national championship; and impressed even fewer with his performance at the NFL Combine. At this point of their careers, I think Landry has just plowed right in front of Reggie Nelson in the power rankings - showing that he is truly the best safety in the nation. I'm sure that once Atlanta tutors Landry into the team in the offseason, he'll be starting at the FS position starting from week one. Laron Landry has the potential to be the anchor of this defense for many years to come. We can't pass up on such a high-caliber defensive back like Landry.<span style="color:blue">Other Possible Draft Picks: DE Gaines Adams, RB Adrian Peterson, DE Jamaal Anderson, OT Levi Brown, DT Amobi Okoye</span>Second Round: <span style="color:gray">Charles Johnson</span> Defensive End | Junior | Georgia6'2" 270 lbs. <span style="color:red">4.87</span>With this pick acquired through the trade of Matt Schaub to the Texans, I am convinced that Atlanta will a defensive player... a defensive end to be exact. While John Abraham did terrific last year blitzing the quarterback and bringing pressure upon the opposing offense, his whole body was as fragile as glass. John Abraham missed more games than we could afford, and I'm sure that Zimmer will convince this organization to draft a defensive end early in the draft to fill depth needs and in the future, be able to start the opposite end of Abraham. Charles Johnson would be a perfect fit for this team. He's already in the state of Georgia, and he's already been asked to work out for us. I think the coaches have gotten a great impression on this guy. Johnson is a strong defensive end. He can stuff the run and bring pressure to the quarterback very effectively. Some may want to get a finesse pass rusher to compliment John Abraham, but in Zimmer's defense, I think that it's more effective to have a finesse/power rusher at the ends of the D-line. Another compliment with Zimmer's defense that Charles Johnson brings to this team is his ability to play the 4-3 or the 3-4. That's an important aspect of Johnson because Zimmer will probably mix up the schemes that we will use against certain teams. We shouldn't pass up on this kind of defensive end because we need good talent, durability, and depth at that position.<span style="color:blue">Other Possible Draft Picks: OG Ben Grubbs, OG Justin Blalock, <span style="color:red">*</span>S Brandon Merriwether</span>Second Round: <span style="color:gray">Arron Sears</span> Offensive Tackle | Senior | Tennessee6'3" 319 lbs. <span style="color:red">5.30</span>With the second second round pick, Atlanta will draft an offensive player. I'm convinced it will be an offensive lineman due to the amount of talent that we can draft at this point. The Falcons haven't invested any of their time looking into potential starters at the offensive tackle position in the offseason, and with Arron Sears, Petrino gets the power linemen that he's supposedly stated to have wanted. NFLDraftCountdown has stated that Sears can also be projected as a guard in the next level. Arron Sears is a very reliable back up who has played at both tackle positions and both guard positions in his NCAA career. However, by the time regular season starts, I can probably assure you that Sears has, by then, convinced Bobby Petrino and the rest of the coaches that he can protect Michael Vick better than any of our other offensive tackles. I expect Arron Sears to be our starting tackle by week six - replacing Wayne Gandy.<span style="color:blue">Other Possible Draft Picks: DE Tim Crowder, DE Lamar Woodley, RB Tony Hunt, S Eric Weddle</span>Third Round: <span style="color:gray">Manuel Ramirez</span> Offensive Guard | Senior | Texas Tech6'3" 326 lbs. <span style="color:red">5.20</span>I can simply justify this pick by pointing at last year's stat of the amount of times that Vick got sacked. That stat is due to two important things - the health and talent of the offensive linemen. Manuel Ramirez may not be as athletic as the guards that we have now, but that won't prove too much of a downside for our team due to the amount of power and intensity that Ramirez brings to the table. While bench pressing a whalloping 550 lbs. (Texas Tech.'s football record) last year, Ramirez is surprisingly quick for his size. He fits in quite well with Petrino's power blocking system. Ramirez has got to be one of the best run blocking offensive linemen coming out of this year's draft. Another reason why drafting an offensive guard like Ramirez is because we have absolutely low depth at the guard position. Let alone the number of issues on our offensive line that must be improved - depth. Our two back up tackles are also the back ups for our guards. Suppose one starter goes down. Then that means we'll only have one man to back up every offensive lineman. That's too risky because we rely upon the performance of the offensive line on every game. The offensive linemen make it or break it for us. That's why we're going to need every help we can get, and Manuel Ramirez will prove to be capable of lending us a helping hand when we need one. How can we be more sure? Ramirez was the leader of an offensive line that blocked for a team in the Top 5 best offensive production in the country.<span style="color:blue">Other Possible Draft Picks: OT Tony Ugoh, CB Ryan Smith, DE Dan Bazuin, <span style="color:green">*</span>RB Michael Bush</span>Fourth Round: <span style="color:gray">Quincy Black</span> Linebacker | Senior | New Mexico6'2" 240 lbs. <span style="color:red">4.50</span>Before I say anything about this pick, I must first say that I predict that Brooking will move back to the middle linebacker position. I just think that Brooking will recognize that that decision would benefit this team a lot better than staying at the outside linebacker position. Anyways, Quincy Black is a DeMorrio Williams kind of player. The linebackers that are a mix of safety and linebacker techniques, physique, or whatever. Quincy Black is also a bigger linebacker than H.B. Blades - the LB that I previously wanted to draft at this point of the draft. Black is slightly heavier than Blades, and he's about three inches taller. This pick would also fill a hole in our defense. We will need more linebackers in order for Zimmer's system to start working, and Black would be an almost perfect fit for the outside linebackers that Zimmer has coached. Quincy Black has great coverage skills, and he's got a lot of upside. Black has the potential to be a starter in a year or two if he shows the amount of hussle that he's showed his coaches in college.Fourth Round: <span style="color:gray">Kenny Scott</span> Cornerback | Senior | Georgia Tech6'1" 179 lbs. <span style="color:red">4.39</span>YoutubeThis pick is my sleeper of the draft. DeAngelo Hall and Jimmy Williams can't be the only ones playing the cornerback position solidly in Atlanta. Jason Webster's lost more than a few steps now and if he can cover a second string reciever, then I can probably be the king of England. We need someone to play nickel for us in a few years. It can't be Jason Webster, Allen Rossum, or any of our other unconsistent defensive backs. It CAN be Kenny Scott. However, the main reason Kenny Scott made it on my mock draft is the fact that he can return kicks and punts and can get lots of playing time on the special teams squad. He's been returning the kick offs for Georgia Tech since he was a freshman, and he's got a lot of potential on special teams. I've seen a lot of Kenny Scott due to his games in Georgia Tech. This tall, quick, solid cornerback can definetly keep up with the third string wide recievers in the league right now. Kenny Scott has proven that he can play in Georgia Tech by showing the scouts that he can play the run as well as he can cover his man one-on-one. While Kenny Scott doesn't have the ideal bulk that most coaches look for, Scott makes up for it with his superb quickness on the field. While some may think that this is too early of a pick to draft Kenny Scott, I think otherwise. I expect a lot of scouts to be amazed by his return skills, and I know for a fact that due to that small fact, Kenny Scott's stock has risen dramatically.Fourth Round: <span style="color:gray">Paul Williams</span> Wide Receiver | Senior | Fresno St.6'1" 205 lbs. <span style="color:red">4.45</span>YoutubeNow that we have nailed an extra fourth round pick, I'm predicting that the Falcons will spend it on an offensive player. This time, however, I'm sure it will be another target for Michael Vick. I first had Anthony Gonzalez on this compensation pick, but I soon realized that anyone who mock drafted Anthony Gonzalez in the FOURTH round is crazy. Paul Williams can be the sleeper of our draft. This guy can play lots of special teams earlier on his career, and can probably fill in the role of the third-string wide receiver. Paul Williams reminds me of Ted Ginn Jr., but slightly alternated. They can both make a five-yard catch into a fifty-yard play. They're both very elusive, and they've both got good hands and leaping skills. Williams should be a great downfield target for Michael Vick in the future because of his amazing speed as well. The speed of Roddy White and Michael Jenkins are too inconsistent, so we should probably invest this pick towards a speedy downfield target for Michael Vick.Fifth Round: <span style="color:gray">Dwayne Wright</span> Running Back | Junior | Fresno St.6'0" 228 lbs. <span style="color:red">4.66</span>YoutubeWith the fifth round pick, I believe that Atlanta will draft Dwayne Wright. Although this spot may be too early, I think that sixth round is reserved for someone by the name of Cameron Stephenson. Anyways... Wright is a solid power back who can stay healthy. Some may want Michael Bush instead of Dwayne Wright (if Bush is even available at this point of the draft...). However, the durability comparison between Michael Bush and Dwayne Wright has made the decision for me already. Petrino has already seen the way Dwayne Wright works out. Petrino got that chance with Dwayne Wright was invited by Atlanta to work out for them. The fact that he was already invited to work out for Atlanta convinces me that Petrino has moved on with the idea of drafting Michael Bush. Dwayne Wright is a Michael Bush prototype except Wright is a much safer pick. Wright has decent size with great vision of the field. He's also a pretty good blocker. That means that if he isn't running over the defense or going out for a pass, he can be blocking for Michael Vick. This pick can turn out to be a sleeper as well.Sixth Round: <span style="color:gray">Antonio Johnson</span> Defensive Tackle | Senior | Mississippi St.6'3" 310 lbs. <span style="color:red">5.21</span>This pick will provide yet even more depth towards our fragile defensive line. Antonio Johnson can end up to be a sleeper pick for us. He has great size, and he can plug in the holes a lot better than it looks like he could. He's very powerful, and he's got decent speed. I don't have much accuracy in predicting later rounds, but I just have a feeling that we would draft a defensive tackle later in the rounds for back up and depth purposes. If we work hard enough on the development Antonio Johnson, I definetly see Johnson starting for us in the future.Seventh Round: <span style="color:gray">Dustin Fry</span> Center | Senior | Clemson6'3" 314 lbs. <span style="color:red">5.19</span>It's the last pick of the draft. What do we do? We draft a player who has shown some flashes of spectacular talent. It's not really wishful thinking, yet it sort of is because I'm hoping that we can take a gamble on Dustin Fry if he falls far enough to our pick in the seventh round in which he probably will. Dustin Fry can provide some depth towards our center position behind McClure, and he's another offensive lineman that can fit in Petrino's system. He has the size to be a great run blocker, and he's got a lot of potential to be a reliable back up in this league. Let's take that chance that he will suck. It 'is' the last pick, and there's always going to be the option of cutting him in the end of the pre-season.<span style="color:red">*</span>A bit of a reach / Unsure of the availability<span style="color:green">*</span>Might be too high / Too Early
