Keith Thivodeaux
DB from Northwest Louisiana

Thanks to Brandon S.
"He played cornerback at NW Louisiana and is 5-10 180. He seems to be a solid player, as he made some all-state teams. Some of the articles I found on this guy were game reports that listed him as making a big hit, crucial tackle, etc."

Every year, Casserly has what he calls a "fun pick", a project player hard to find in even the most thorough scouting books. Two of them from years past, Dexter Nottage and Rich Owens, have more than proved their worth.

This year, the fun pick is cornerback Keith Thibodeaux of Northwest Louisiana State. Secondary coach Tom Hayes didn't work Thibodeaux out until Friday, and the Skins actually traded their sixth- and seventh-round choices to Atlanta to take him in the fifth round.

"He's very quick and athletic," Casserly said. "We wanted to try and get a corner that would at least compete for a spot on the team. The reason we traded the sixth and seventh was because we knew a couple of teams were interested in him. We felt it was worth it. If we didn't get him, we weren't as excited about any of the other cornerbacks left on the board. Tom feels he can come in and compete for the nickel job. I thought he was an impressive guy on tape when I watched him."

Hayes said he was impressed at Thibodeaux's coverage skills and believed he could step in and compete with Darryl Pounds for the role of third cornerback.