We saw some really significant changes in the 4.0 version of our Mock Monitor after the dust settled from the Combine.
Well, if there's one thing we can pretty much bank on from here on out, it's more change.
Things definitely shifted again this week as ESPN's Mel Kiper, NFL.com's Pat Kirwan, Yahoo, WalterFootball.com, Sports Illustrated's Don Banks and GBNReport.com all switched their previous projections for the Falcons.
Notable changes: Previous consensus favorite, Purdue DE Ryan Kerrigan, has exited the Mock Monitor altogether. Mel Kiper was the lone post-Combine holdout, and that was only because he hadn't posted an update after the workouts in Indianapolis.
I explained it last week, but it bears repeating that a lot of teams are sliding Kerrigan up their boards. He's an explosive talent that can be productive right away. It's tough at this point to see Kerrigan lasting all the way to the No. 27 spot where the Falcons pick.
Another change is the addition of Iowa defensive end Adrian Clayborn to the board. Both Kiper and Banks think he could be there when the Falcons pick and that general manager Thomas Dimitroff and Co. will pounce on him.
There's good reason to believe such a scenario would occur. First of all, Clayborn has really had some good workouts during the offseason. He runs a 4.7 40-yard dash, and he's the kind of tweener the Falcons could be interested in — one that can play DE and DT, if called upon.
Secondly, there's a school of thought that Georgia defensive end Justin Houston is starting to slide down some boards, primarily because he weighed in at 270 pounds at the Combine. While he's dropped some spots, he hasn't gotten past the 20-25 selections in most mocks.
NFL.com's Charles Davis has Houston being taken by the Falcons, but most believe he'll be gone by then. If that's the case, Clayborn is not a bad consolation. Clayborn finished his senior season with 70 tackles and 11.5 sacks.
If you're more interested in seeing how destructive he can be, watch his 2010 Orange Bowl highlights. You can't miss him. He's No. 94, with the long dreadlocks coming out of the back of his helmet, haunting Georgia Tech quarterback Josh Nesbitt's dreams.
Some say he could stand to gain some more weight, mainly muscle mass, and he was afflicted with a condition called Erb's Palsy as a kid that has limited some of the movement in his right arm — but given his on-field abilities, he doesn't appear to be affected by it.
The last change to point out is in this week's consensus pick. If you remember last week, there was a four-way tie for the Falcons' projected draft pick. This week, while still a tight race, Wisconsin offensive tackle Gabe Carimi takes the honor of consensus pick.
If you haven't been paying much attention to what's going on leading up to the Draft, know that Carimi might be the nastiest offensive lineman available this year. He can play either of the tackle positions, and as he's said, he thinks his best games last year were against All-Americans. Oh, and he proclaims himself as the best tackle available in the Draft. Gotta love that confidence.
One more thing: Carimi also called Clayborn the toughest defensive end he faced all year — a group, by the way, that included Ohio State's Cameron Heyward, Wisconsin's JJ Watt (during practice sessions, of course) and Kerrigan.
So, now you all have to decide, if faced with the decision, do you take Clayborn? Carimi? Perhaps someone else? Let us know by voting in our poll below.
