With the 27th pick of Pride of Detroit's 2011 NFL Mock Draft, the Atlanta Falcons select Georgia defensive end/linebacker Justin Houston. ATL Lion is serving as the Falcons' general manager, and his reasoning for the pick is below.
With a 13-3 record last year, the Falcons are in the enviable position of fixing something that is not broken. Even with the second-best record in the NFL, the Falcons have a few team needs they can work on. They seem to always need a pass rusher opposite John Abraham, and the Packers showed them that they could use a decent nickel corner. Their offensive line could always use a new body as well.
With the 27th pick, the Falcons take Justin Houston, an outside linebacker from Georgia. He is a local boy who will be an instant fan favorite. The Falcons might be losing Stephen Nicholas and their LB depth, and Houston is a large enough OLB that he can put a hand down and rush when needed.
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Check out the 2011 Pride of Detroit Community Mock Draft tracker for a look at all of the picks.