Hurtin' for: a quarterback
Obviously, this team is much more than a player away from contention. The fact that re-signing Chris Redman, who spent the previous three years out of football, looked like such a necessary move shows just how weak the Falcons are at arguably the most important position. Redman did play pretty well when handed the job last season, but he's not the answer. Only two things should keep the team from picking Matt Ryan third overall: 1) some other team takes him before Atlanta can, or 2) the Falcons see little difference between him and Brian Brohm and/or Joe Flacco. With an extra second-round pick from Houston, thanks to the Matt Schaub deal, the Falcons would be in fine shape to trade back into Round 1 near the end to grab one of those guys.

The combination of a defensive guy as head coach and a former Patriots personnel man as general manager will be interesting. The Patriot way since Bill Belichick hit town has been to not overpay for players, and the New England defensive line is packed with first-rounders. We'll see what happens if Atlanta has its choice between Ryan and either Sedrick Ellis or Glenn Dorsey.

Should be lookin' for: a middle linebacker
The Falcons could certainly stand to get stronger up front on offense, but they have some young linemen who might be best served by getting playing time. That said, an offensive tackle wouldn't be a terrible pick at 3, if they prefer to get a quarterback later. The defense, however, has been soft for several years. Keith Brooking will turn 33 in October and played out of position in the middle last season. He's best suited for the weak side, and moving him back out there would give second-year player Stephen Nicholas more time to develop. The second round would be a good time to look for a new middle man.

Will likely settle for: the best players available
Like the Dolphins and Rams before them, the Falcons could use help in many places. Also like the Rams, Atlanta is set at running back with Michael Turner and Jerious Norwood. Trading DeAngelo Hall would accelerate the need for another corner, but tight end, safety, defensive tackle and receiver wouldn't suffer for adding some talent.


Matt Schauf is a contributing writer for Draft Stock and an associate editor for the Sports Buff Fantasy Network