FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. -- The Atlanta Falcons made their second trade on Day 3 of the 2019 NFL Draft, this time moving up to pick No. 135 and selecting former Charleston defensive end John Cominsky. Cominsky is the first defensive lineman the Falcons have drafted in 2019, and he is also the first Charleston player to be drafted in 76 years.
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WHY HE FITS
The Falcons needed to bolster their depth on the edge of their defensive line, and Cominsky will help them do just that. Cominsky is 6-foot-5 and 286 pounds, yet he ran the 40-yard dash in 4.69 seconds. Despite his speed, Cominsky is viewed as a better run defender at this point than pass rusher, but he should be a welcome addition to Atlanta's defensive line rotation.
SCOUTING REPORT
A freak athlete. Cominsky was once an option quarterback, and he was named the Mountain East Defensive Player of the Year in 2018. He brings the athleticism Dan Quinn likes on defense. Cominsky improved each year at Charleston and looks to be a player the Falcons will have to develop. He went from 218 pounds, when he enrolled, to 285 pounds. The potential is there. In his final season, he recorded 67 tackles, 16.5 for loss, three sacks and two forced fumbles.
DRAFT GRADES
CBSSports.com
- Grade: C+
- Comment: "Cominsky was a trendy small-school prospect during the pre-draft process and was blessed with stellar athletic talent and huge defensive end size. He doesn't have many pass-rushing moves and doesn't always play to his measured athleticism."
Mike Tanier, Bleacher Report
- Grade: B+
- Comment: "The Falcons allowed 124.9 rushing yards per game last season (eighth-worst in the NFL) and 4.9 yards per rush (fourth-worst). Neither figure is cataclysmically awful, but the Falcons defense excels at looking just good enough in each area to disguise how bad it really is. Cominsky was an option quarterback in high school, but at the University of Charleston, he moved to defensive end, bulked up from 215 pounds and worked his way up to Mountain East Defender of the Year honors. Cominsky performed well enough at the Senior Bowl to prove he belonged in an NFL camp. He runs well, has some agility, weighs 286 useful pounds and gets high marks for character/work habits. On the downside, he's a raw pass-rusher who didn't produce many sacks against low-level competition. But he will help the Falcons as a run defender right away."
