Hey Kiper....SETTLE DOWN!

The draft isn’t until next week, but I thought I would weigh in now just in case Thomas Dimitroff is listening to suggestions now and will cut off all media next week. Draft Glen Dorsey DT of LSU and don’t think twice about it. You are probably hearing everyone from Todd McShay and Mel Kiper Jr, to some media “experts” from here in Atlanta yelling that YOU NEED A QUARTERBACK. Well they are right, as Chris Redman, DJ Shockley and Joey Harrington don’t exactly strike fear into the hearts of your division rivals, but that doesn’t mean you have to take one. Don’t JUST take the “top” QB because you need one at the moment. Don’t you think the Texans would love a redo back in 2001 when they selected David Carr over Julius Peppers? They could have taken Carson Palmer the next year. He was a worthy first pick QB, not Carr. And you could tell that as they were coming out of college.
If you step back from the draft order this year and simply rank the top players in an order of “who is the best regardless of position,” is Matt Ryan in the top 10? Shoot, is he in the top 15? No. So don’t take Ryan at No.3 just because. And don’t trade some of the picks you have acquired to move into the late first round to grab Flacco or Henne only because “you need one.” It isn’t worth it. Take one when the time is right and he would fit your system. If that means waiting until next year, so be it. Don’t hurt the rest of the team to take that QB. You have a chance to build this team the right way: from the inside out. Don’t sacrifice that because society and the “experts” say take a QB! That’s why those guys are breaking down the draft and not taking part IN the draft.
Therefore start with the lines, both offensive and defensive then work out from there. I would take Chris Long, but he most likely will be gone. CHRIS LONG? you say. But you just took Jamal Anderson in the last draft! No. Rich McKay took him in the last draft and that is why McKay doesn’t call the shots anymore, because he screwed up enough of these things to be replaced. Chris Long is a guy you can draft to makeup for that pick, plus, depth never hurt anybody, especially when John Abraham is on the other side. The guy made plays last year, registering 14 sacks, forcing two fumbles, intercepting a ball and racking up 79 tackles. But assuming CLong is gone, take Dorsey and his 12.5 tackles for loss, and four pass breakups. He led his team to the BCS Championship, despite facing double and triple teams all year and having Auburn trying to take out his knees. If those two are gone, then go for Jake Long. While considering him, remember Robert Gallery. I don’t think Long is “can’t miss” but I’d take him over Matt Ryan.
Bottom line, I’d take a guy to solidify my core and watch my team get better. Matt Ryan might come in and move some jerseys. (He will need a bunch, since he’ll have grass stains all over his every week from getting sacked.) Glen Dorsey though will sell out the Dome by winning as he is the first step to rebuilding this defense. (And the team can take its franchise QB next season in when the QB class looks a lot deeper)
The old regime would have taken Matt Ryan with the No.3. I don’t believe this new regime will do that. Those that forget history are doomed to repeat it. Dimitroff is smarter than putting all of his eggs in the basket of a guy that isn’t a sure thing, since the last all-eggs-in guy is now playing out The Longest Yard. Dorsey IS a sure thing. Go with that!