Braves, Falcons Draft and College Football Spring Games Keeping Us Busy

April finished with a bang! So much going on in local sports. Good thing our staff is putting in the extra hours! Seriously. It’s so busy I can hardly find time for the coffee shop visit. By the way, the boys are all wondering about the Falcons draft. What do I think?

UCLA’s Takkarist McKinley poses after being selected by the Atlanta Falcons during the first round of the 2017 NFL football draft. (Jeff Haynes/AP Images for Panini)

I believe the #1 pick Takk McKinley is a great fit for Q’s defense. He plays his best football, when he’s on the attack and that’s what Quinn’s 1-Gap scheme will allow him to do. It will turn him loose to anticipate the snap count, penetrate, blow up run plays and pressure the quarterback. Takk is also a fierce, tough competitor, so that’s a good fit in “The Brotherhood.” However, I am concerned about his shoulder surgery March 5. Will he be ready to play in the season opener? I wonder.

Not real sure about the rest of the draft class. Third round pick Duke Riley can run and hit, which will show up quickly on special teams cover units. Can he replace Deion Jones or DeVondre Campbell in the nickel package? Probably not. Is he a starter in base? We’ll see.

Hopefully, Sean Harlow (Round 4) can slide down from tackle to guard and provide some quality depth to the O-Line. Damonte Kazee (Rd 5) pushes Brian Poole at nickel corner. Brian Hill (Rd 5) might provide a short yardage option at RB. Eric Saubert (Rd 5) is a receiving tight-end (not a blocker).

One thing stands out to me: A local football player has about as much of a shot to be drafted by the Falcons as becoming an astronaut. If that was the dream, consider going away to college out west. Check the hit points for T & P: Drake, Wyoming, San Diego State, Oregon State, LSU & UCLA. Just saying…

Our BRAVES must be thrilled the month of April is in the books. That was a roller-coaster ride: they won 5 in a row, lost 6 in a row, won 4 in a row. Offensively, the line-up is starting to get it going, which is encouraging. We need Dansby & Adonis to pick it

Atlanta Braves shortstop Dansby Swanson turning the DP. (AP Photo/Alan Diaz)

up this month. The pitching is holding up, the defense has settled down and Coppy is busy working on improving the bench situation.

Hopefully, May is going to be fun at SunTrust Park, with the Mets, Cardinals, Jays & Pirates coming to town. See you at the park!

The Bulldogs QB buzz has been interesting. Jacob Eason and Jake Fromm both looked good on G-Day. Yes, Fromm was picking on the 2nd defense, but I was impressed with his feel for the game and his play-making abilities. He’s got a bright future. Eason has stepped up his game! His footwork looked improved and he made some nice throws, with touch. I was impressed with both of them. Georgia now has 2 quarterbacks that can play ball. And that’s a good thing!

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