Quick Hits – C Joe Hawley

Speculation has swirled for months that the Falcons were in the market for a young center to develop behind 12-year veteran starter Todd McClure. With pick #117 in the fourth round, Thomas Dimitroff and his staff put an end to the speculation. Please welcome Joe Hawley, a very highly-regarded center from the University of Nevada – Las Vegas (#3 available center on Mel Kiper’s big board, for what it’s worth).

According to NFLDraftScout, Hawley is widely known as a “strong, confident, vocal leader.” I see a trend here. A few more quick hits on Hawley:

Aaron Schatz from FootballOutsiders.com tweets this astute observation: “Joe Hawley of UNLV: Kiper’s 3rd best available center, but I choose him as ‘best available beard.’ Lumberjack, baby!” (Pair him with yesterday’s third round draft choice, OG Mike Johnson, and the Falcons are in hot hirsute pursuit on their offensive line. I sense a new nickname to complement Dahl & Clabo’s “Nasty Boys” moniker… Hawley & Johnson – The Paul Bunyan Boys?)

Hawley and a UNLV teammate get jiggy with a Jugs machine (remember, Hawley is 6-3 and 297 pounds!):

More from NFLDraftScout on Hawley:

Pass blocking: “…plays with good leverage, and rarely gets pushed back into the quarterback. Good pre-snap awareness; will point out blitzers to the center. Picks up extra rushers quite well, punching his man and recoiling to catch and hold up the linebacker. Agile enough to help out tackles on the edge, but his consistent lunging at ends in space allows them to avoid or shed him too easily.”

Run blocking: “Mauler inside who latches onto defenders (both inside and outside the numbers) and does not let go. Strong enough to turn his man out of the hole. Keeps feet moving after contact; capable of driving three-technique tackles into the ground through his effort to sustain the block. Willing to add himself to the pile to drive the ballcarrier forward or pull defenders off him.”

Pulling/trapping: “Very agile; gets around the center easily to trap and has the quickness to pull around the tackle…”

Initial Quickness: “More than acceptable quickness off the snap; gets his hands into a defender’s jersey on run plays and is able to get into pulls and traps easily. Defensive linemen find it difficult to get a great initial push on pass rushes or in obvious run situations.”

Downfield: “Excellent mobility to reach the second level. Hustles to make second or third blocks, and can be downfield to help his running back off the ground…”

Intangibles: “Strong, confident, vocal leader for the offensive line. Won the team’s Rebel Spirit Award in 2009, given to a senior who exhibited toughness, positive attitude and a strong commitment to his teammates. His durability and versatility will be valued.”