(AP photo)
With the No. 58 pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, the Atlanta Falcons selected cornerback Isaiah Oliver out of Colorado on Friday night. The pick was announced by former Falcons quarterback Michael Vick.
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WHY HE FITS
Oliver has a great combination of size, length and speed. He was a big contributor at Colorado from the beginning of his career, and he finished his three seasons with the Rams with 82 tackles, 25 passes defensed and three interceptions. Oliver will bring both speed and size to the Falcons' secondary, and he is a great athlete who was considered by some experts to be a first-rounder.
"I would say it's just my athleticism, along with my refined technique," Oliver said of what he brings to the table during a conference call after he was selected. "That's something that I've always worked on, these last three years, especially. Just the little things: The way we have our stance at the line of scrimmage, where I have my eyes, where I have my arms, just little things like that. I try to just make those as crisp and as perfect as possible to help me out on game day."
SCOUTING REPORT
Oliver is a competitive decathlete, which should be all you need to know about his athleticism. In college, he demonstrated good press ability to jam receiver at the line of scrimmage with him long arms before turning and running with them downfield. The 6-foot, 201-pound cornerback has soft hands and can high-point the football when it's in the air.
DRAFT GRADES
Pete Prisco, CBSSports.com
- Grade: B+
- Comment: "This is a nice value pick in the second round. You can never have enough corners in their division."
NFL COMPARISON
Artie Burns:NFL.com draft analyst Lance Zierlein compares Oliver to Steelers cornerback Artie Burns, who was selected in the first round of the 2016 NFL Draft out of Miami. Burns has played every game for the Steelers over the past two years, defending 26 passes and recording four interceptions.
SCOUTING REPORT
Oliver is a competitive decathlete, which should be all you need to know about his athleticism. He demonstrated good press ability to jam receiver at the line of scrimmage with him long arms before turning and running with them downfield. The 6-foot, 201-pound cornerback has soft hands and can high-point the football when it's in the air.
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