Ryan's 'OK' workout proves nothing but lack of greatness

Judge: Falcons can't pass on Ryan

Boston College quarterback Matt Ryan had his much-ballyhooed, over-hyped workout for NFL scouts Tuesday in Boston, giving him his chance to show off his big arm.

While he is solid Wednesday, Matt Ryan fails to separate himself from Brian Brohm and Chad Henne. (AP)

Ryan, whom most teams consider to be the top quarterback in this draft, didn't play in the Senior Bowl and didn't throw at the scouting combine. So this workout was the first time league personnel got the chance to see him throw since his last college game in December.

The verdict?

He threw the deep ball well, which you would expect from a big-armed passer, but struggled some on the three- and five-step short throws. It wasn't a great workout, but one coach said it was just OK.

That's just it: Ryan isn't great. He isn't the John Elway of this draft. He's a nice player who has a chance to be a Pro Bowl passer. But he's far from polished, which is why the Miami Dolphins probably will pass with the top overall pick.

The St. Louis Rams, picking second, have Marc Bulger at quarterback and just signed Trent Green, so they should pass as well.

Which brings us to the Atlanta Falcons in the three spot. Most draft analysts think the Falcons will take Ryan, giving new coach Mike Smith a building block for the future. In Ryan, many would see the anti-Vick, a passer more dedicated to his craft than spending time watching dogs tear each other to shreds.

The problem with that is there really isn't a lot of difference between Ryan, Louisville's Brian Brohm or Michigan's Chad Henne -- in my mind. In fact, I like Brohm the best. Am I being pig-headed about it? You bet. But he was higher ranked coming into the season and had a better senior season than Ryan.

So I'm sticking to my conviction.

That isn't to say that Ryan can't be successful. He can. But if I'm the Falcons, I pass. If you use the third pick on a quarterback, you want a star, not someone potentially good. Ryan doesn't seem like a star to me.

The Falcons would be wise to use the third pick on a defensive tackle who can help their run defense and then find their quarterback later.

That defensive tackle would most likely be LSU's Glenn Dorsey. He would help right away.

Have you seen the Falcons' depth chart at defensive tackle? It's a who's who of who-the-heck-are-they players.