And then there was a day for rest.
As the sun set Saturday evening in Atlanta, the Falcons concluded their 2012 draft. They likely used Sunday to rest and begin the process of picking up priority free agents the scouting staff identified during the scouting and drafting process.
In total, the Falcons selected six players. Wisconsin's Peter Konz, a center, was the first player selected by the Falcons. He's expected to enter the offseason training activities with a shot to compete as a starter at center or guard.
Southern Mississippi's Lamar Holmes, a left tackle, was the team's third-round pick. A very large lineman, the pick completes general Thomas Dimitroff's focus on beefing up the offensive line early on in the draft.
"Going into this year, we knew we needed to get more stout there," Dimitroff said. "If Matt (Ryan) can't get the ball down the field, we feel we're taking away our ability to be more explosive."
The trend of finding blockers continued into the fifth round when Atlanta selected Wisconsin fullback Bradie Ewing. Also in the fifth round the Falcons selected Troy defensive end Jonathan Massaquoi.
The picks continued into the sixth with Mississippi State safety Charles Mitchell. Another large player, defensive tackle Travian Robertson from South Carolina, was picked with the seventh-round selection.
Dimitroff stuck with his philosophy of drafting players that he describes as "team-captain types." Four of Atlanta's picks were team captains in college. While he said it's not a determining factor, they always find it a positive.
"If these guys are team players, we really believe we have a fighting chance," Dimitroff said.
The GM said he expects to have approximately 23 roster spots to fill with college free agents by early this week.
