Falcons' Draft Board: Iowa TE C.J. Fiedorowicz

[protected-iframe id="31bffd4276f2dca79ece36b50be9b3fa-58441833-57875119" info="http://cinesport.ajc.com/inline/3445880087001/#nolink;" width="600" height="364" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"] Each morning, from now until the draft starts on May 8, we'll do a short profile of a player we are projecting to be on the Falcons' Draft Board. We'll focus on team-needs, possible selections, players the Falcons have worked out and/or interviewed, etc. With the Falcons having 10 picks, we'll start out by focusing on potential late-round picks and then move on to early-round picks. Today we'll look at Iowa tight end C.J. Fiedorowicz.

Player: C.J. Fiedorowicz

Position: Tight end

School: Iowa

Height and weight: 6-5 1/2, 265

Combine numbers: 4.76 seconds in the 40-yard dash; 25 reps on the 225-pound bench press; 31 1/2-inch vertical; 9-8 broad jump; 4.26 in the shuttle and 7.10 in the three-cone drill.

Projected Round: He's the fifth rated tight end in the draft and projected to be selected in the third or fourth round by NFLDraftScout.com.

Career Highlights: Fiedorowicz played in the Senior Bowl and was named the most outstanding tight end/wide receiver. He completed his career with at least one pass reception in 31 straight games, which ranked second among active FBS tight ends. He played for the Hawkeyes as a true freshman in 2010.

Credit: D. Orlando Ledbetter

Credit: D. Orlando Ledbetter

Quotes: "I think (the tight end position) has evolved more as a receiving guy. You have a Jimmy Graham, Vernon Davis. He does a little bit of both but those are guys who are pretty good receivers. If you get a guy who can do both, that's a big asset to a team. … I was a receiver in high school. I didn't know what it was like to put my hand in the ground and actually block defensive ends. So it was a little frustrating, but once I got the hang of it -- it's a mindset, (you've got to) want to block somebody. I kind of picked that up and I realized if I want to get on the field I've got to block."

Falcons level on interest: The incomparable Tony Gonzalez has retired. The Falcons know they can't replace him, but at the very least, they need a blocker, who can also work well in underneath zones. At Iowa, he executed a lot of inside and outside zone blocks. He's adept at setting the edge on outside runs. Blocking from the tight end position will be more of a priority for the Falcons.

Here are the Falcons draft picks: