First Round: Desmond Trufant, Cornerback, Washington

The Falcons needed an instant replacement for departed veterans Brent Grimes and Dunta Robinson. Trufant is a player that Atlanta can plug-and-play immediately and get back a solid contribution. Trufant has good size to pair with his great instincts, and it never hurts to have two brothers who have had successful NFL careers, either. I expect Trufant to become the Falcons’ eventual CB1, and he could do so by mid-season in 2013. Grade: B+

Second Round: Robert Alford, Cornerback, Southeastern Louisiana

Much like Desmond Trufant, Alford will be asked to play immediately, as the Falcons are extremely thin at cornerback. However, in Alford’s case, he brings an exciting dynamic to the special teams unit, whereas Trufant is more of a one-phase athlete for the team. If you watched the opening kickoff of the 2013 Senior Bowl, you’ll know why Alford is highly regarded as a kick returner. Alford’s size may come into play in Atlanta, and could be a factor that works against him, but he has the skill set to offset any negative in his game with a great nose for the ball, and a passionate mean streak as a corner, which is rare. Grade: B

Fourth Round: Mallicah Goodman, Defensive End, Clemson

There was no doubt the Falcons were going to look to address their needs along the defensive line after losing veterans John Abraham and Ray Edwards this past off-season. Goodman won’t end up being a starter for Atlanta, in my opinion, but provides great depth for the Falcons here. Grade: C

Fourth Round: Levine Toilolo, Tight End, Stanford

The Falcons were able to breathe a sigh of relief when veteran tight end Tony Gonzalez announced earlier this off-season that he would be returning to the team in 2013. Toilolo is a player the Falcons can develop behind Gonzalez this season, and hope for production in 2014. Grade: C

Fifth Round: Stansly Maponga, Defensive End, TCU

The Falcons did a great job of continually adding depth throughout the draft at areas of need. Maponga will be a good rotational player in Atlanta that won’t be asked to play immediately. Grade: C

Seventh Round: Kemal Ishmael, Safety, Wake Forest

This is more of a value pick for Atlanta, and Ishmael is a player that will have to battle for a roster spot if he wants to contribute. Grade: C+

Seventh Round: Sean Renfree, Quarterback, Duke

Simply put, I love this pick. Renfree is another braniac for the Falcons to develop behind their already insanely smart franchise quarterback Matt Ryan. Renfree has absolutely zero pressure to contribute to the team in any capacity any time soon, and will be able to challenge for the back-up role in training camp this summer. Grade: A-

Overall: The Falcons reached for nearly every pick except for Trufant and Alford, not countring Renfree, because he’s a seventh-round selection. If the Falcons had traded up for a player like Tank Carradine, or Sylvester Williams, this class would’ve been a disaster.

Overall Grade: C