Captains of industry: Two recent Atlanta Falcons draft classes have much in common

May 31, 5:56 PMAtlanta Falcons ExaminerDaniel Cox

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Peria Jerry (center), AP Photo/Gregory Smith

A team captain is many things. 

He's not always the most talented player on the field, but often one of the better, able to lead with not only his voice, but also his production. 

He's an extension of the coaching staff, often one of the more senior members of the team and well-versed in the objectives of the team during a season or a particular game. 

He's also an individual who can listen, relate, and often inspire.

Those are the kind of players any team would want, but too often general managers and scouts become intoxicated with a player's potential instead of his past production and character.

There is no place where potential becomes the priority more than at the annual NFL Scouting Combine. Players awe scouts with their 40 times, bench press reps, and vertical jumps. Atlanta Falcons General Manager Thomas Dimitroff enjoys attending the combine, but he's said many times that he keeps a level head about it. He can acknowledge a player's potential, but he will always return to face-to-face interviews, recommendations from past teammates and coaches, and game film when making his final decisions on a player.

Head Coach Mike Smith said recently that you have to know exactly what you're looking for in a player and ensure that all the parts that make up a potential draft pick match with the values of the staff and the franchise. But ultimately when judging what a player will do on the field, you have to return to the actual games.

"The tape doesn't lie," he said. "We say it all the time. That's the player's DNA. It doesn't lie."

But there are other parts of a player's DNA that make him desirable to the Falcons, like his team captain status.

A close look at the franchise's draft choices in the last two drafts reveal some telling themes.

The Falcons like players that were either voted or named as team captains. They prefer players that were seniors (often five-year seniors), highly productive over the course of their college careers--often improving each season, instead of combine superstars. The players' production often translated to all-conference/America honors for many of the players as well.

There's no correlation between success in college and success in the professional ranks, however, Atlanta clearly believes that a player that fits the above criteria will be more capable of coming in, become a part of the team, accept coaching, act with integrity and character, and translate the game plan into on-field success.

Just as the tape doesn't lie when scouting players, the history doesn't either. Take a look at the last two draft classes:

2007

• Matt Ryan, quarterback: The 2008 NFL Rookie of the Year has already made a name for himself in the NFL, but before coming to the Falcons, he built a solid career at Boston College. The fifth-year senior was the ACC 2007 Player of the Year, the 2007 Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award winner (an award based as much on leadership and intangibles as it is on-field performance), and won the Manning Award as the nation's top quarterback. He set the school record for single-season passing yards, is BC's third all-time leader in passing yards and career touchdowns, and is the school career leader in pass completions.
• Sam Baker, offensive tackle: The senior left tackle is one of three USC players to ever earn three-time All-American honors. A four-year starter, during his senior season he was named to numerous first- and second-team All-American teams. He was also USC's team captain in 2007.
• Curtis Lofton, middle linebacker: The only junior drafted by the team in the last two drafts, Lofton was named to the Sports Illustrated and Sporting News First Team All-American teams in 2007. He was the Associated Press' Second Team All-American and first-team All-Big 12. Additionally he was the AP Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year. His junior season he set an Oklahoma University record with eight double-digit tackle games.
• Chevis Jackson, cornerback: The senior LSU corner started in 40 straight games to end his college career. In 2007 he was named to the AP's First-Team All-SEC team. His 44 career passes defended ranks second in LSU history. Jackson played well in the national championship game as a senior, finishing with two tackles and an interception.
• Harry Douglas, wide receiver: The fifth-year senior finished his career at Louisville second all-time in receiving yards and fifth in receptions. As a senior he was named to the AP's Second-Team All American squad and was a First-Team All-Big East honoree, earning that distinction for the second consecutive season.
• Thomas DeCoud, safety: The team defensive captain during his senior season (fifth-year senior) was named an All-Pac 10 honorable mention selection. DeCoud was voted the team's defensive MVP in 2007 after starting 12 games and leading the team in tackles (fourth in the conference).
• Robert James, linebacker: Nicknamed "The Beast" at Arizona State, the fifth-year senior earned honorable mention All-America and  All-Pac 10 honors in 2007. Was named ASU's defensive MVP for his production during his senior season.
• Kroy Biermann, defensive end: Montana's senior Biermann played in 52 career games, finishing with the second-most career sacks in school history. He was the 2007 Big Sky Conference Defensive MVP and an FCS All-American team member.
• Thomas Brown, running back: The senior running back ranks fifth in University of Georgia history in rushing attempts and yards. As a senior he was the Bulldogs' offensive team captain.

2008

• Peria Jerry, defensive tackle: The fifth-year senior was the team captain in 2008 and earned the Most Dedicated Player Award given by the Ole Miss Alumni Association. He was named to the ESPN and AP's First-Team All-American teams. He was also a First-Team All-SEC selection.
• William Moore, safety: Moore, a fifth-year senior, struggled with injuries during his senior campaign, the season he served as the team captain. His play in 2007 earned him First-Team All-American and All-Big 12 Conference honors.
• Chris Owens, cornerback: The senior cornerback from San Jose State led the Western Athletic Conference (12th in the nation) with six interceptions and earned Second-Team All-WAC recognition. Owens started 38 games during his college career and was the 2008 team captain.
• Lawrence Sidbury, defensive end: In two years as a starter, the fifth-year senior earned CAA First-Team honors both seasons. His 11.5 sacks as a senior helped Richmond win the FCS national championship. In 2008 he served as the team's captain.
• William Middleton, cornerback: The senior team captain was a three-year starter at Furman and was named the team's MVP in 2008. He earned FCS First-Team All-American honors as a senior after producing 95 tackles, nine tackles for loss, five sacks, four interceptions, and nine pass breakups.
• Garrett Reynolds, offensive tackle: As a junior Reynolds was team captain. During his senior season he earned the AP's Second-Team All-ACC honors. He ended his college career at North Carolina starting in 26 straight games.
• Vance Walker, defensive tackle: As a senior in 2008 Walker earned First-Team All-ACC honors for the second consecutive year. As a junior he was a Third-Team All-American.

From this list, only three of the 19 draft picks are excluded (2007's Keith Zinger and Wilrey Fontenot and 2008's Spencer Adkins). Zinger is still on the team (practice squad) and was drafted solely for his blocking abilities. Despite being a highly productive four-year starter in college, Fontenot did not make the team in 2008. Two days after he was cut, the Arizona Cardinals signed him. Adkins was drafted as a developmental player. His skills are considered raw, though he has the ability to develop into a pass-rushing linebacker while contributing on special teams.

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