Draft Anxiety Is Gettin' The Best Of Me

i can't remember the last time i was so looking forward to/dreading an NFL draft. sure i was really excited when 4 Auburn Tigers went in the 1st round a few years back...but this draft is all about my Atlanta Falcons and how they're finally gonna put together a descent group of kids that lifts them from the bottom of the heap and into the promised land of back to back winning seasons and regular playoff trips (oh to dream). either that or they're gonna draft Matt Ryan and i'm gonna be burning his jersey in effigy in a few seasons while he's throwing his fifth pick in a blowout loss to the New Orleans Saints. with any luck Dorsey is still there and the Falcons build a team around a solid defensive front...but if he's gone i'm praying Atlanta trades their pick with the Ravens and then drafts Sedric Ellis or the best lineman available. but hey, it's Atlanta. it ain't like they're known for doing the smart thing. and just so you know, and this is the last time i say it, when i look at Matt Ryan i don't see a Manning...i see Tim Couch.

if Atlanta really wants a QB, just take whoever the hell is available in the 2nd round and hope for the best. it's cheaper than the alternative and if that doesn't work out there's always the hometown kid of Matt Stafford that they can take in a couple of years. i might not like Stafford, but i'm willing to bet he'll be a better pro than "Matty Ice" and the fans of Atlanta will at least be excited about rooting for the kid.

other hopes for this draft regarding Atlanta:
i'd like to see them pick up Auburn's Pat Sims with one their second round picks...especially if they fail to land Dorsey or Ellis in the 1st round. i wanna see lots of offensive lineman getting taken, like at least 3...but possibly 4. a playmaking tight end wouldn't be bad either. JerMichael Finely of Texas will likely be around in the 4th or 5th round. he's got good size, pretty descent speed and ball catching ability, but he's not much of a blocker. he seems like the kinda player that could blossom into a probowler in a couple of years if used properly. honestly though if this kid wouldn't have left early (he's a redshirt sophomore) he'd be a first rounder in 2009 or 2010. other than that just load up on kids who can play sooner than later and start 'em off all together. let 'em lose together. let 'em learn together. let 'em turn into a team together. just build a foundation that this goddamn pathetic Shakespearean Tragedy of an NFL franchise can rise up from the ashes on...please.