NFL Mock Draft 2011: Atlanta Falcons Take Jabaal Sheard with First Round Pick

April 4, 2011   ·   Alec Dopp   ·   Jump to comments

This is where things begin to get dicey.

One of the clear cut dark-horses of this draft, Pittsburgh's monster defensive end Jabaal Sheard has slowly made his way up many draft analysts' draft boards with impressive outings at the NFL Combine and pro-day workouts.

Managing nine sacks in his senior season with the Panthers, Sheard was widely considered a potential first-round pick but not a serious talent heading into the NFL.  However due to great work-ethic and solid Combine interviews, Sheard is continually impressing scouts across the country.

But for the Falcons, who struggled to put pressure on the opposing quarterback (just 31 sacks last season), now is the time to pull the trigger on Pittsburgh's 6'4'', 260-pound defensive end.