The NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis has become a spectacle, and it should be no surprise considering the overall popularity of the NFL and the game of football. As it wraps up today with cornerbacks and safeties working out for scouts, we turn once again to our mock drafts to provide some prognostication for the Falcons, sitting at the no. 55 overall pick.
The Combine has a way of clearing some things up. While most scouts and front office personnel will say that the Combine doesn't make the needle move too much one way or another based on performance for players, the mocks generally seem to disagree as players climb up and slide down at a rapid pace.
This week, things haven't changed all that much as Stanford tight end Coby Fleener holds strong at the consensus pick while most other picks are scattered all over the place. Last week, we saw Fleener be the only player picked by multiple mock drafts, but version 5.0 sees Clemson defensive end Andre Branch (pictured above) earn the nod from two of our sampled mocks.
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It's no secret that the Falcons are looking to boost the pass rush and increase the amount of pressure opposing quarterbacks feel, but it's still unclear whether the strategy for that under new defensive coordinator Mike Nolan will involve personnel changes and additions or just scheme tweaks. Branch, 6-foot-4, 259 pounds, may be too much to pass up, however, if he falls to the Falcons in the mid-to-late second round.
Branch led Clemson in sacks last season and finished his college career with 17.5. Described as a raw talent, the senior had a solid Combine, notching a 4.7 40-yard dash.
