FLOWERY BRANCH - The Atlanta Falcons were excited to see most NFL draft experts rate Penn State's Bryan Scott as a middle-round cornerback.
Ron Hill, the Falcons' vice president of football operations, had his fingers crossed as Atlanta prepared to make its first pick Saturday, a second-round spot that was No. 55 overall. He was pleased to hear little disagreement in the Falcons' draft room.
``There wasn't a whole lot of back-and-forth,'' Hill said. ``We knew we wanted this guy. He was what we had targeted going into this draft in the second round. We're excited about having him.''
Atlanta traded its first-round pick, No. 23 overall, to Buffalo on March 7 for receiver Peerless Price, whom they signed to a six-year contract that included a $10 million bonus. The Falcons also were without a pick in the third round, which ended Saturday night, after a trade last year with Houston allowed them to select guard Martin Bibla in the fourth round.
Scott, a fourth-year senior, took visits to Dallas, Kansas City and Pittsburgh. Though the Falcons hadn't met with Scott since the Senior Bowl, they loved his size (6-foot-1, 219 pounds) and his sub-4.4-second time in the 40-yard dash.
``As long as he stayed on the board, I don't think there was any question on who we were going to take,'' coach Dan Reeves said. ``I think everybody agreed he would be a good fit for us and help us with a position that's hard to find.''
The Falcons have undergone a major overhaul in the secondary since they lost 20-6 at Philadelphia in the second round of the playoffs. Salary cap ramifications forced them to cut starting cornerback Ashley Ambrose, who was replaced by former Green Bay standout Tyrone Williams.
On Saturday, they re-signed Juran Bolden, who backed up Ambrose and Ray Buchanan last year but tore knee ligaments in the Eagles game and isn't expected to return until late October. Free safety Keion Carpenter, who underwent a spinal fusion in early February, re-signed last month.
Though Buchanan returns as a starter on the left side, he'll face competition from Scott and former Green Bay reserve Tod McBride, nickel back Kevin Mathis and return specialist Allen Rossum. Cory Hall signed as a free agent from Cincinnati and will start at strong safety.
Scott, who started every game the last two years at Penn State, brings a burst of speed to the position that averages 28.3 years. Scott turned 22 on April 13.
``I played strong safety for half a year at Penn State, and the rest of my time there I played cornerback,'' Scott said. ``I just consider myself an athlete. I can play safety or corner. It doesn't matter.''
Monday
March 31st, 2025
12:43AM
