FOX Sports South offers four Falcons-related revelations from Day 1 of the NFL draft, which lasted approximately 3 hours, 40 minutes -- or considerably shorter than the average golf round for weekend duffers:
Viewed in a vacuum, the individual acquisitions of linebacker Brooks Reed (14.5 sacks, 52 starts in four years with the Texans), versatile linebacker Justin Durant (can handle inside duties/rush the passer), defensive tackle Adrian Clayborn (averaged 6.5 sacks per year with Tampa Bay, when healthy) won't put the fear of you-know-who into many offensive coordinators.
But when grouped with Beasley -- arguably the best rush end in this draft -- along with the specter of trading for an established veteran in the next 48 hours (Bruce Irvin? Michael Bennett? long shot Muhammad Wilkerson?), suddenly and without pretense, the Falcons no longer bear the look of pushovers in the trenches.
And need we remind fans of the following factoids: In 2014, the Atlanta defense finished 27th in scoring, allowing 26.1 points per game; and from a yardage perspective, the Falcons surrendered 398 or more yards a staggering seven times.
(By comparison, in their final six regular-season games -- all victories -- the 2014 Seattle Seahawks allowed a grand total of 39 points ... and never more than 250 total yards in that span.)
One more dour note: Citing the last four seasons (2011-14), the Falcons have registered the NFL's fewest sacks during that stretch.
As a sophomore in college (Clemson), the Georgia-raised Beasley dutifully accepted the position switch from tight end to defensive end, even if that meant shedding never-ending blocks from offensive linemen who routinely had 40, 50 or even 60 pounds on the kid who ate and ate ... but rarely put on weight (forgive the faux nursery rhyme).
Over time, Beasley would grow into the stature of becoming Clemson's all-time sack leader, breaking Michael Dean Perry's record of three decades (27 sacks).
And for the pro scouts and NFL general managers, Beasley's December-to-February transformation included the stealth art of packing on 15-plus pounds ... without losing any of the supreme gifts of quickness, flexibility and explosion.
At the combine, Beasley's combine performances with the 40 (4.53), bench press and agility drills stood out from the pack. And his weight gain was a popular talking point for NFL Network Mike Mayock, who marveled at Beasley's superior athletic gifts, in the wake of moving up a weight class.
As such, Beasley (a triple-jump competitor in high school) quickly morphed from a mid-to-late Round 1 pick to an elite-level and high-pressure slot in the draft (No. 8) -- well ahead of Kentucky's Alvin 'Bud' Dupree (22nd overall to Pittsburgh), Missouri's Shane Ray (23rd overall to Denver) and Nebraska's Randy Gregory (zero suitors on Day 1).
Iowa's Brandon Scherff was the consensus choice as the top-rated offensive lineman, regardless of his long-term fate as a left or right tackle. So, of course, the Falcons could have used someone of his ilk along the starting line.
But in Dan Quinn's first draft as an NFL head coach, you never got the sense Atlanta's first selection would address the O-line, running back or even a long-term successor to Roddy White at receiver.
In short, it was all about the defense, particularly skilled edge rushers who can consistently get to the quarterback.
But who would be the pick at No. 8?
Well, that drama essentially ended when the Redskins tapped Scherff at No. 5. Using simple math, the Falcons were subsequently guaranteed to land one of the four blue-chip defenders left on the board -- USC defensive tackle Leonard Williams (6th to the Jets), Washington D- tackle Danny Shelton (No. 12 to the Browns), Kentucky's Dupree (22nd to the Steelers) and, of course, Beasley.
The above comment isn't a referendum on Gurley's talents. When healthy, he's a franchise-altering running back, who could easily lead the NFL in rushing yards or total touchdowns in the not-too-distant future.
And if Atlanta had sprung for the Georgia star -- even with the knee injury from last November -- it would have been a sound marketing move for a club that's moving into a gleaming new stadium in two years and needs more stars to help sell PSLs and luxury suites.
Plus, last we checked, the Falcons weren't exactly flush with dynamic options at tailback, presently riding the like-sized, similarly skilled duo of Devonta Freeman (entering Year 2) and Antone Smith, who likely won't match last year's four-game streak of one touchdown from beyond 35 yards.
Bottom line: The 2015 draft class boasts a large handful of Round 1-worthy tailbacks who'll end up as Day 2 or Day 3 selections -- as simple victims to the so-called numbers game.
Need a home-run back? Try Indiana's Tevin Coleman. Need a versatile back who'll soon collect 1,500 total yards and 40-plus catches per season? Try Miami's Duke Johnson. Need a back who could handle carry after carry after carry in a "4-Minute Offense" situation? Try Alabama's T.J. Yeldon.
Need a power back with a Toucan Sam-like nose for the end zone? Try Boise State's Jay Ajayi (32 TDs last year). Need a legacy back who's richer than a poor-man's Le'Veon Bell? Look to Michigan State's Jeremy Langford, a speed/power combination runner who tallied multiple touchdowns in his final seven collegiate games.
The above five names, along with David Johnson (Northern Iowa), Ameer Abdullah (Nebraska), Karlos Williams (Florida State), Mike Davis (South Carolina), Cameron Artis-Payne (Auburn), Javorius Allen (USC) and David Cobb (Minnesota) help comprise one of the deepest RB classes in NFL history.
As a bonus, they can all be had over the next four rounds.
Barring a shocking trade-way-down scenario from general manager Thomas Dimitroff (a noted advocate of moving up in the draft), the Falcons are healthy bets to target defense in the second round on Friday (10th pick of the day, 42nd overall).
How do we know this? Well, during the Dimitroff era (2008-14), the Falcons have invested four of their five Round 2 choices on defense -- including D-tackle Ra'Shede Hageman (2014) and cornerback Robert Alford (2013) from the previous two drafts.
Within that logic, the primary targets include: Nebraska DE/LB Randy Gregory, LSU cornerback Jalen Collins, Florida State DT Eddie Goldman (a personal favorite), Ohio State DT Michael Bennett, Mississippi State DE Preston Smith, UCLA defensive end Owamagbe Odighizuwa, Mississippi State LB Benardrick McKinney or Utah defensive end Nate Orchard -- an absolute whiz in the highly underrated category of tackles for loss.
The educated guess: McKinney
