The Falcons made a solid pick in getting safety Thomas DeCoud in the 3rd round as many experts expected him to go a tad earlier.  DeCoud brings the pain as he often tries to drive through a ball carrier.  He has only played a year and a half as safety for California so he’s still learning on the job.  He is 6’1″, 196 pounds but he only runs a 4.57 40.  DeCoud would be better off at strong safety because of his hitting ability and lack of big time speed.  He played in 45 games (16 starts) at California and he made 198 tackles, broke up 8 passes, had 1 interception, forced 2 fumbles and recovered 2 fumbles.  He will likely be a starter in the near future for the Falcons and he will no doubt be an assassin on special teams starting this season.