Quarterback, linebacker, cornerback and safety were all on that list, and the Falcons took care of those positions rather early.
Offensive and defensive line positions were on that list, as well, and they should have been circled, highlighted and had stars drawn around them. But by the end of the second day of the draft, the Falcons came away with one offensive lineman and one defensive lineman who will likely only see time on special teams.
What were two glaring needs heading into Saturday seem to still be glaring needs now after the draft, but the Falcons' front office took a different view of the two lines.
"We're talking about bringing in guys who have the team concept, who are about getting better and who have passion for the game," Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff said. "There may be flashy players on the defensive line, but if they don't have the team concept, to me, I think you need to put that player aside."
The Falcons did that early in the draft.
Just a few days before the draft, all signs pointed to the Falcons snagging LSU defensive tackle - and possibly best player in the entire draft - Glenn Dorsey if he was available when Atlanta picked No. 3 overall.
At some point last Friday or Saturday morning, that notion had changed to the Falcons taking Boston College quarterback Matt Ryan, regardless of who was left.
That's exactly how things played out. The Falcons passed on Dorsey, who would have solidified a defensive line that is thin and oft-injured, and went for the signal-caller instead.
"We had options, for sure, and obviously, as has been written, Glenn Dorsey was a legitimate consideration and we respect the ability of both players," Dimitroff said after picking Ryan on Saturday. "It came down to us considering the value of that position, the need that we had, but, most importantly, we decided on the skill set that Matt Ryan possessed along with his intelligence and his leadership ability."
The Falcons did make a move shortly after taking Ryan to try to protect him better. The Falcons traded back into the first round with the Washington Redskins at No. 21 overall to take Southern Cal offensive tackle Sam Baker, who became the seventh offensive lineman taken in the first 21 picks.
Because teams picking before No. 21 were snatching up offensive linemen quickly, the Falcons felt their hand was forced to make the trade for Baker, although many draft experts had him lasting into the start of the second round.
With the addition of Baker, the starting offensive line could include Baker at left tackle, second-year player Justin Blalock at left guard, 11-year veteran Todd McClure at center, eight-year vet Kynan Forney at right guard and third-year player Tyson Clabo, who has spent his entire career at guard, at right tackle. Backing them up would be a host of players who saw time last year due to injuries to several starters.
If Todd Weiner comes back from an injury, the 11-year vet could take over for Clabo at right tackle. Falcons head coach Mike Smith credited the injuries last year for the lackluster performance of the offensive line on nearly a weekly basis under then-head coach Bobby Petrino.
"They were a unit that didn't play together for very long and they were mixed and matched all throughout the season," Smith said. "As a coach, when your offensive line can stay together and stay healthy, you have a much better chance of playing efficiently. The guys who we have are good, solid football players in terms of their athletic ability and strength."
The Falcons addressed the defensive side by taking linebackers Curtis Lofton and Robert James, cornerbacks Chevis Jackson and Wilrey Fontenot and safety Thomas DeCoud. Atlanta did get a defensive end in Montana's Kroy Biermann, but he's not a true defensive end since he can play linebacker, as well. Biermann also is projected to play mostly special teams.
That leaves last year's first-round pick Jamaal Anderson and veteran John Abraham at the defensive end positions, and Jonathan Babineaux and Kindal Moorehead - both of whom stand only about 6-foot-2 - to play defensive tackle.
"When you do the research on seeing who was drafted on the defensive line, you'll see that the numbers are very slim," Smith said. "If you weren't there going hard in the first round, it really fell off."
Other teams didn't seem to agree with Smith's assessment.
After the first round, 15 defensive tackles were selected and 17 defensive ends were taken, including Biermann.
On the offensive side, an astounding 31 offensive linemen were taken after the first round. None of those players ended up in Atlanta.
