The defense is also a reason not to be so stoked about the draft as a Falcons fan. I mentioned it during Tim's draft. Mike Nolan finished running the defense into the ground in 2014, leaving us with what I called the fourth best defense in Conference USA at the time. Richard Smith was DC for the next two years. Marquand Manuel for the two years after that. Dan Quinn tried to do it himself for a year but that flopped, and then Raheem Morris was his DC in 2020 until Quinn was fired and Morris became interim coach. Then it was Dean Pees for two years before he retired, Ryan Nielsen for one year before Arthur Smith was fired, and then the mishap with Jimmy Lake last year before bringing Jeff Ulbrich back for this year (former linebacker coach here, was interim DC when Morris became interim head coach) . So if you actually sort through all that mess, it means this is the fourth straight season with a different defensive coordinator and changes to the scheme, and the ninth different defensive coordinator in the last 12 years. The key defensive players that Terry Fontenot drafted in 2022 - edge rushers Arnold Ebiketie and DeAngelo Malone and linebacker Troy Andersen - have had different systems and different coordinators every single year of their pro career. This is NOT a good way to develop players.
I'm hearing locally that the Giants love Dart and would possibly trade out of the top and down where they can get him. Alternatively, trade up from 2. Just a rumor.
my dude has been a good source for info for many years. Mostly Jets/Giants and really tied in to NFL.
