Falcons' Draft Needs

The NFL Draft is less than a week away and I'm no Mel Kiper Jr., but thought I'd run down the list of the Atlanta Falcons' needs going into the draft.

1. Secondary- Atlanta has helped themselves tremendously in the off-season by acquiring safeties Lawyer Milloy and Crocker. Corner DeAngelo Hall is already making his presence felt at the NFL level, but they lack consistency on the other side. So, drafting a quality corner or a safety to provide more depth in the secondary would be very beneficial to the Falcons.

2. Offensive line- After letting go of Kyle Shaffer, Atlanta traded for veteran Wayne Gandy, but overall, Atlanta's line is less than remarkable. They're very small and average, at best. They may block well when they run the ball, but are below average when blocking during a pass. There are many reasons Vick scrambles like he does and one of those reasons is the fact that when he drops back, more times than not, the line let somebody get to him. Atlanta needs more size and mobility up front to protect Vick and to further improve the passing game.

3. Outside linebacker- Getting Ed Hartwell back in the lineup will be extremely important for Atlanta to go alongside perennial pro bowler Keith Brooking. Demorrio Williams was a project coming out of college, as he was a tweener in size, but with his speed and athletic ability, the Falcons gave him a shot. While Williams makes some unbelievable plays, he also gets run over many times and misses reads. This is partially due to his lack of experience, but is partially due to his size (or lack there of). There will be a battle for that outside linebacker position in the off-season between Williams, Michael Boley, amongst others. If Atlanta has an opportunity to draft a quality OLB who can fight for some playing time in his rookie season, they should make the most of that opportunity.

4. Defensive tackle- Atlanta is set in three of their four defensive line spots with Kearney, Abraham, and Coleman. Their other DT is Chad Lavalais when he's not hurt. Rookie (now second-year player) Jonathan Babineaux played some when Lavalais sat out last year. Lavalais is the more veteran of the two, but Babineaux has more upside. It's difficult to tell at this point how much both players will mature and grow in the off-season and if one will truly be ready to step up and make their presence felt consistently next season. The Falcons may want to draft another DT to provide more competition at that spot and hopefully boost one of those two players into a more steady starting role position.

5. Receiver- It seems like Atlanta needs a new receiver every year, doesn't it? It's not as critical a need this year, as third-year player Michael Jenkins and second-year man Roddy White showed some promise at the end of the season last year. But, a big guy for Vick to throw to is always a plus. Atlanta also lacked in special teams last year, because of Allen Rossum's injuries, so the Falcons may look to a multi-tool player if they're to draft a receiver this year.

6. Running back- Yeah, crazy right? With Dunn, Duckett, and Vick in the backfield? DVD? Well, Dunn isn't getting any younger and Duckett isn't getting any more effective. Dunn has a bigger heart than anybody in the league, but with his small frame, he can only take so many carries in a game and that's when Duckett comes in handy. T.J. struggled some a year ago, however, and Atlanta may want to look elsewhere for some back-up tailback production.

7. Quarterback- What? Replace Vick? No, no, no. Back-up Matt Schaub has been a hot name on the trade market and as he's in his last year of a contract, Atlanta might be able to use him to get a first round pick or another solid player. If he is traded, then Atlanta will need to get themselves a solid back-up in case Vick goes down.

8. Place kicker- Todd Petersen was effective last year for the Falcons, but the guy has been around for a few years, has lost some range, and Atlanta may want to start looking for a kicker of the future.