Virginia Tech CB Victor Harris

RedNose with the pick...

With a lot of good offensive talent, Thomas Dimitroff and Mike Smith have to think very hard about passing on some good prospects in favor of filling their glaring defensive wholes. By addressing linebacker in the 1st round and in free agency with veteran backer Mike Peterson, the Falcons have one component of their defense fortified. Now they need at least 1 bulky DT and 1 heady cornerback. Even though the decision the need at DT is probably greatest, there is no one the Falcons want to select with their 2nd rounder, so that will have to wait until the 3rd, 4th, or 5th round where their might be better value.

That leaves 3 prospects to mull over. A need at CB, and a couple of offensive game changers are the choices. The Falcons are not yet good enough on offense to start dismissing impact players even at positions where need may not be great. That said, as sexy as the offensive choices are, there is a corner that the Falcons have their sights on that they just cannot stand to let fall to another team. So the selection is Victor "Macho" Harris.

Here is the scouting report from NFLDraftscout:

"Positives: Natural playmaker. … Versatile athlete with the skills to help at multiple positions. … Alert zone defender. … Reads the quarterback's eyes and closes quickly on the ball. … Reliable open-field tackler who flashes explosiveness as a hitter. … Willing to dirty his jersey against the run. … Good lateral agility to elude blockers and will come up aggressively in run support. … At least adequate hip flexibility and straight-line speed. … Natural hands for the interception. … Can track the ball over either shoulder. … Good leaping ability and times his leaps well. … Can highpoint passes and shows the strong hands to snatch passes out of the air. … Reliable hands as a returner. … Good vision and burst as a returner.

Negatives: Might lack the hip flexibility and straight-line speed for man coverage. … Inconsistent press technique and lacks the burst to keep up with faster receivers if he misses his initial punch. … Likes to go for the intimidating hit and will occasionally fail to wrap up properly when dropping his shoulder into the ballcarrier. … Plays a flashy, emotional game and can get carried away on the field, drawing penalties."

Sounds a lot like a certain former teammate of his that we're all now very familiar with. If he plays as well as Brandon Flowers has so far, he'll get over the "lack of straight-line speed" critique.

Round 1 is here.

Previous pick: C Eric Wood

Read more: Scouting Report (Mocking the Draft)

On the clock: Miami Dolphins (shraggyj) and Baltimore Ravens (Ben S)

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