Atlanta Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff’s decision to take Keanu Neal was viewed by many in the NFL Draft community at a pretty big reach.
That sentiment has reached the ears of the Falcons G.M., who doesn’t appear to respect those opinions very much.
https://twitter.com/andrewhirsh/status/727544734332252160
Draft grades vary from person to person and team to team. Every team’s scouts argue about the merits of players during the pre-draft process, and each team has different ideas about the value of certain positions.
So it’s not surprising at all that Dimitroff and the Falcons made a pick in Neal that, from a value standpoint, didn’t resonate as a smart pick by those who have different definitions of value.
Taking Neal’s No. 17 overall draft status out of the equation, he actually is a tremendous fit for Atlanta’s defensive scheme (read more about that here).
With that in mind, it’s understandable that Dimitroff was feeling feisty about defending his decision. That said, perhaps he didn’t need to denigrate Scouts Inc., and, by proxy, the large draft community that viewed Neal’s value in a different light.
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, after all.
It’s going to be interesting to track Neal’s progress in the coming seasons. In the end, Dimitroff might end up with egg on his face, or he could come out of it looking like a genius. That’s the beauty of the draft.