LB Akeem Ayers

The Falcons conducted workouts to two Pac-10 linebackers on Saturday and Sunday according to sources.

On Saturday, the team got a look at UCLA outside linebacker Akeem Ayers, projected by many as a first round pick. Ayers tweeted about his on campus workout. Sunday, the team headed north to get a look at Oregon inside linebacker Casey Matthews on campus per a National Football Post report. Matthews is the younger brother of current Packers star Clay Matthews III, whose father was none other than ex-Falcon linebacker Clay Matthews, Jr. The younger Matthews is seen more as a middle round pick for this year’s upcoming draft.

You can click here to read a scouting report on Ayers.

Today is essentially the last day of pro days with Notre Dame and Jacksonville State being the last two colleges remaining.

Today at Notre Dame’s pro day, teams got a chance to see top tight end Kyle Rudolph work out including the Falcons. Rudolph, missed the latter half of this past season with a hamstring injury and has been limited all off-season. According to Sean Jensen of the Chicago Sun-Times, Rudolph ran his 40 time in the 4.8 range. According to several sources, Rudolph looked sharp in positional drills showing little sign of coming off an injury.

According to NFP’s Aaron Wilson, Rudolph is set to have a workout with the Falcons late next week. The Falcons could potentially target Rudolph in the late first or possibly second round of the draft.

Adam Caplan of FOX Sports reports that the Falcons are expected to meet with Nevada TE Virgil Green.

Green has been moving up boards due to the weakness of this year’s tight end class. He had a strong senior year with 35 catches for 515 yards (14.7 avg) and 5 touchdowns. He is a bit undersized at 6-3 and around 250 pounds, but was one of the standouts at February’s Scouting Combine.  He finished in the Top 5 among tight ends in the 40-yard dash, vertical jump, broad jump, 3 cone drill, and long (60-yard) shuttle. His 42.5-inch vertical leap was the best of any prospect at the Combine, and his 10 foot, 10-inch broad jump measured third best overall. He clock a 40 time of 4.64 seconds (third best for tight ends), 6.90 second 3-cone drill (tied for fourth among tight ends), and a long shuttle of 11.63, which was good enough for second among his position group.

The Falcons are looking to find and develop a successor for Tony Gonzalez, who is entering the final year of his contract and is expected to retire after this year.

You can click here to read a scouting report on Green.

In an update of yesterday’s report, the Falcons did not attend the throwing session of Alabama QB Greg McElroy. The Seattle Seahawks were the only team to show up to the event, sending two representatives. However, it is expected that McElroy’s representatives will send video of the workout to all 32 teams.

Like yesterday, today will feature the personal pro days of three prospects: Villanova OG Ben Ijalana, Indiana WR Tandon Doss, and Nebraska DE Pierre Allen.

Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer tweets that at least 23 NFL teams are represented, on hand to view Ijalana. No confirmation on whether the Falcons are among them. Ijalana reportedly clocked a 5.12 40 time and a 27-inch vertical jump.

No word on whether the Falcons were on hand to see Doss. Doss reportedly had a 32.5-inch vertical jump and 9 foot, 8 inch broad jump.

DE Brooks Reed

Last week it was reported that Arizona DE/OLB Brooks Reed would work out for the Falcons, well that workout is scheduled for today based on info provided by Pro Football Talk.

Reed has been moving up draft boards since the end of the season due to his versatility to play in either a 4-3 or 3-4 scheme on the edge and a solid Combine workout performance. There he clocked a 4.68 40 time (4th best among defensive linemen) and did 30 bench reps of 225 pounds (tied for 10th best), showing both speed and strength packed into a small package (measured at 6-3/260 pounds at his pro day). Reed is noted for his relentless motor. He was productive at Arizona, impressing mainly as a sophomore with 37 tackles, 9.5 for loss, and 8 sacks before injuries limited his production as a junior: 23 tackles, 5 for loss, and 2 sacks. But he bounced back as a senior, recording 47 tackles, 10 for loss, and 6.5 sacks.

You can click here to read a scouting report on Reed.

UPDATE: Chris Russell of ESPN 980 in Washington tweets that Reed is beginning a two-day visit with the Redskins today, conflicting with PFT’s source. PFT visits tracker page indicates Reed isn’t scheduled to visit the Redskins until Friday, April 8.

Who will be the next Michael Palmer?

It was previously reported by Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post that the Falcons would host North Alabama defensive tackle Nate Frazier as one of many local draft prospects at their own pro day. Each team is allowed to bring in players each year before the draft for drills and workouts that have local connections either via their college or high school. The Falcons will hold theirs next Thursday, April 14. Pro Football Talk lists both Georgia Tech running back Anthony Allen and Georgia linebacker Akeem Dent as also working out on that date.

Frazier hails from Atlanta, where he attended Riverwood High School in Sandy Springs. He originally went to the Naval Academy, before being dismissed from the school in 2009 for multiple honor code violations. He finished his career at North Alabama,  where he had 30 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, and a sack last season.

Last year, Clemson tight end Michael Palmer was one of several local prospects that worked out for the Falcons at their pro day. Palmer was able to land an undrafted free agent contract with the Falcons and made the team’s roster. He appeared in 14 games this past year, with one start, and caught 5 passes and a touchdown.

Rarely do any of the top draft prospects show up for local pro days. So it’s unlikely that the Falcons will get an opportunity to work out the likes of Auburn’s Cam Newton or Georgia’s A.J. Green. Typically local pro days are for players hoping to impress teams and get picked in the late rounds or potentially as free agent pickups. Besides players from Georgia and Georgia Tech, the Falcons can take a closer look at prospects from smaller schools like Albany State, Fort Valley State, Georgia Southern, Valdosta State, Clark Atlanta, and West Georgia, including WR Ricardo Lockette, who the Falcons talked to at the Combine and also attended his pro day.

No word on any players besides the three previously mentioned, but the Falcons have already shown reported interest in several prospects with high school connections including: Miami defensive end Allen Bailey, Auburn running back Mario Fannin, East Carolina receiver Dwayne Harris, and North Carolina quarterback T.J. Yates.

Other noteworthy prospects with Georgia high school ties include (scouting reports linked): Alabama OT James Carpenter; Appalachian State DE Jabari Fletcher and S Mark Legree; Arkansas OG Ray Dominguez; Auburn WR Darvin Adams; Central Florida DE Bruce Miller; Florida P Chas Henry, OG Maurice Hurt, and DT Lawrence Marsh; Florida State OC Ryan McMahon; LSU LB Kelvin Sheppard; Memphis S Marcus Ball; Middle Tennessee QB Dwight Dasher; Ole Miss DT Ted Laurent; North Carolina S Da’Norris Searcy; Ohio State DE Cameron Heyward; South Carolina OT Jarriel King; South Carolina State OT Johnny Culbreath; South Florida WR Dontavia Bogan; and UT-Chattanooga CB Buster Skrine.

Tuesday featured no collegiate pro days, but the two personal pro days of two prominent prospects at Alabama and Kansas State.

NFL.com’s Jason LaCanfora reports that all 32 teams were expected to be in Tuscaloosa today to see Alabama quarterback Greg McElroy hold his personal pro day. McElroy has yet been able to throw for scouts this off-season after injuring his hand. Receiving passes from him were teammates in tight end Preston Dial (who was unable to run routes due a sports hernia) and wide receiver Earl Alexander. Alexander pulled his hamstring at the end of the workout. South Alabama wideout Courtney Smith was also on hand to catch passes from McElroy.

Click here to read a scouting report on McElroy and Dial.

Twenty teams showed up at Kansas State to see RB Daniel Thomas work out, although no confirmation if the Falcons were among them. A dozen of those teams sent their running backs coaches. Early reports clocked Thomas with a 40 time in the 4.5-4.6 range. He had been limited by a hamstring injury throughout the off-season, but a strained quadriceps muscle prevented him from running a second 40 during his workout.

You can read a scouting report on Thomas be clicking here.

The Falcons were among seventeen teams in attendance of Southern Methodist’s pro day on Monday. The main attraction was wide receiver Aldrick Robinson, pegged by many as a potential mid-to-late first round pick.

According to NFL.com’s Gil Brandt, Robinson stood on his combine numbers and just performed in positional drills, which he performed solidly per Brandt.

You can click here to read a scouting report on Robinson.

DE Da'Quan Bowers

NFL pro days are practically coming to a close with just a handful of workouts scheduled for next week. NFL teams then will use the ensuing two weeks to meet with players and finalize their boards.

Today, Falcons GM Thomas Dimitroff was in Clemson to see the personal pro day of DE Da’Quan Bowers. Bowers who suffered a torn meniscus in his knee during this past year, has been limited from fully participating in workouts due to the injury and today was the chance to showcase his skills to NFL talent evaluators. Bowers entered the off-season as a potential No. 1 target, but most reports have him disappointing during today’s workout. There is some talk that Bowers may tumble out of the Top 10 now given team’s lingering concerns about his knee. Per Pro Football Weekly, teams are questioning how much he will contribute in his first year.

At 276 pounds, Bowers ran 40 times in the 4.8 to 5.0 second range according to most watches, leaped 34.5 inches on the vertical jump and 9 feet, 2 inches on the broad jump. He did not perform in the bench, and struggled in his 3-cone drill recording a time around 7.0 seconds.

However, Dimitroff was praising of Bowers after the workout,  calling him an “impact player” and conceding he won’t be running 40 yards as a defensive end and uses his hands like an All-Pro according to various sources.

Also working out alongside Bowers were his teammates Jarvis Jenkins, MIguel Chavis, and Jamie Cumbee.

After Bowers workout, Dimitroff will meet with Clemson DB Marcus Gilchrist.

Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post reports that Clemson cornerback Marcus Gilchrist has a meeting scheduled for this afternoon with Falcons GM Thomas Dimitroff.

Gilchrist is considered one of the better defensive backs in this year’s class and has been projected as high by some as a potential second round pick. But there is some debate about whether his NFL future lies best as a cornerback or safety going forward. He played both positions at Clemson, and combined for 16 pass breakups and an interception in the past two seasons. The 5-10/195-pound defensive back had a strong performance in Indianapolis last month, clocking a 4.50 40-yard dash time, jumping 38.5 inches on the vertical jump, and a 6.81 3-cone drill.

The Falcons appear to be looking to upgrade their depth at cornerback and potentially safety due to the departures of veterans Brian Williams and Erik Coleman.

You can click here to read a scouting report on Gilchrist.