Falcons No. 1 pick enjoys comparisons to Deion

FLOWERY BRANCH - DeAngelo Hall didn't shy away from the comparisons to Deion Sanders.

Hall hopes to wear No. 21 for the Atlanta Falcons, in honor of his favorite player. And the cornerback quickly displayed a little Deion-like swagger.

``I feel like I can definitely shut down one side of the field,'' Hall said after being picked No. 8 overall by the Falcons in Saturday's NFL draft.

Atlanta needed a major upgrade on defense after giving up a franchise-record 6,108 yards last season. Hall was the guy they wanted all along an intriguing combination of athleticism (4.31 seconds in the 40-yard dash) and confidence.

``He has what we term 'athletic arrogance,''' new Falcons coach Jim Mora said. ``He doesn't feel that anybody on the football field can beat him, and that is what you want ... out on the edge. It's a lonely position out there.''

The Falcons also addressed a lack of depth at receiver, trading up at the end of the first round to land Ohio State's Michael Jenkins at No. 29 overall.

In the deal with Indianapolis, Atlanta gave up its second-round choice (No. 38), swapped places with the Colts in the third round and surrendered a fourth-round pick.

Jenkins made 165 catches for a school-record 2,898 yards and 16 touchdowns in a run-oriented offense. Five receivers went ahead of him in the first round, and the Falcons didn't believe he would still be around at their spot in the second.

``When they started to run fast and get away from us, we felt that we had to make a move,'' said general manager Rich McKay, overseeing his first draft for the Falcons.

The Falcons hope Hall will develop into a dominating cornerback, the sort of defender who can be left alone in coverage with the other team's top receiver.

They haven't had that sort of cornerback in these parts since the Neon one. The new Atlanta regime McKay, Mora, assistant GM Tim Ruskell sees many of the same traits in Hall.

``Why DeAngelo? It's pretty simple,'' McKay said. ``He impacts the game.''

While the Falcons focused on Hall's similarities to Sanders, there's no such thing as a slam dunk on draft day.

Remember Bruce Pickens? How about Michael Booker? Those were the last two cornerbacks picked by the Falcons in the first round.

Pickens went third overall in 1991, held out until October and quickly flopped. He was traded away two years later.

Booker, the 11th selection in 1997, is best remembered for walking out in the middle of training camp and showing up at a Waffle House. He was cut soon afterward.

Hall made it clear he plans on being another Sanders: ``Maybe not as flashy, but that same attitude, that same kind of confidence, that same speed and that same shut-down corner ability.''

The Falcons were focused on Hall all along. They took only one call about trading down in the draft, and didn't face much of a decision after Texas receiver Roy Williams went to Detroit at No. 7.

Hall, who followed Falcons quarterback Michael Vick to Virginia Tech, wanted to join Vick as a teammate in Atlanta. There were a few anxious moments until Cleveland traded up to get the sixth pick, taking Miami tight end Kellen Winslow.

``When that trade happened, I might have been the happiest guy in the room because I knew I wasn't going to have to go to Cleveland,'' Hall said.

Listed at 5-foot-10 and 197 pounds, Hall insisted his size won't be a problem when he's trying to cover taller, bigger receivers in the NFL.

``You look at the average corner in the league and you don't see anyone who is a 6-2, 6-3 corner,'' he said. ``You see guys who are in my height range. I'm a little bigger than those guys and I run faster than every last one of them.''

And, oh yeah, he's got a 41-inch vertical leap.

``I don't think height has anything to do with it,'' Hall said.

He left Virginia Tech after his junior season, when he was a semifinalist for the Jim Thorpe Award as the top defensive back in the country. Hall had only one interception most teams shied away from throwing in his direction but showed a willingness to get physical. He had a career-high 93 tackles and got tossed out of a game for fighting with a Miami player on the sideline.

Versatility was a strength, as well. Hall played offense and special teams for the Hokies, distinguishing himself as a punt returner. He ranked fifth in the country with a 14.8-yard average, scoring three touchdowns.

``I don't think we'll bring him in here to return every punt,'' McKay said. ``Will he do some punt returns? Yeah, I think he will.''

The Falcons already tried to beef up at cornerback during free agency, signing Jason Webster and Aaron Beasley. Hall plans to compete for a starting job right away on the left side, but he'll get plenty of playing time no matter who starts.

``Whether he is a starter or not, he is going to play 500-600 plays for us, plus his ability to return punts,'' Mora said.

During a visit to Atlanta, Hall went to an NBA game with Vick and came away convinced that this is a franchise on the rise despite last year's 5-11 record.

``I let him know what the NFL is all about, what to expect,'' Vick said. ``I told him, 'Your life is about to change.'''