ATHENS, Ga. – The Georgia Bulldogs held their pro day Wednesday morning, and a large contingent of Falcons personnel made the hour trip over to Athens to watch some of the most well-known players in this year's draft class, including running backs Nick Chubb and Sony Michel, linebackers Roquan Smith and Lorenzo Carter and offensive lineman Isaiah Wynn.
According to at least one media outlet, the Falcons had more than 20 representatives in attendance at Georgia's indoor practice facility, including head coach Dan Quinn and general manager Thomas Dimitroff.
Quinn and Dimitroff weren't the only recognizable people in attendance, however. New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick and Detroit Lions head coach Matt Patricia showed up and eventually coached defenders through a few different drills. According to Leland Barrow, Georgia's associate communications director, all 32 NFL teams were in attendance.
As would be expected, Georgia coach Kirby Smart showed up to watch his former players try to improve their draft stock. He made the rounds and spoke with many of the coaches and scouts in attendance, and he had lengthy conversations with both Quinn and Dimitroff at the event.
Wynn, who was all smiles as he talked about supporting his teammates as they pursue their NFL dreams, has been a popular pick for the Falcons in many mock drafts thus far. But with the acquisition of guard Brandon Fusco in free agency the team may not use their first-round pick on an offensive lineman.
"It's good to come out here and support the guys who I grind with and seeing everybody chasing their dreams and everybody working towards the same goal," Wynn said. "It's great being out here and being able to support the guys."
Outside of the Georgia players projected to go in the early rounds, there are several players who could be intriguing to the Falcons on Day 2 or Day 3. Wide receiver Javon Wims and defensive tackle Trenton Thompson were each big contributors during their careers at Georgia and could fill a need for Atlanta later in the draft.
Wims, who led the Bulldogs with 45 catches for 720 yards and seven touchdowns last season, told Ledbetter that he ran his first 40-yard dash in 4.47 seconds – official results have not yet been announced – and also noted he had an interview set up with the Falcons.
Dimitroff commented on the versatility of some of the players he saw on the field as they moved from one position drill to another. "Versatility in this league, we talked about that a lot," Dimitroff said. "It's good to see when you see them out on this field moving around to different positions. And you realize that when we bring players onto our team, there may be an opportunity for them. They have to do certain things on special teams; they may be getting up the field, there are times we're expecting them to drop [into coverage] – and I'm talking about a defensive player – it is very big. It's the same with offensive line. A guy who can play center and guard is much more valuable, of course, than just the center or the guard. Rarely are you getting a guy who can play center, guard and tackle – that happens every once in a while. Versatility is key."
