NFL Nation

          Falcons take close look at Stanford tight end Austin Hooper

          The Atlanta Falcons are taking a long look at another Stanford tight end.

          Draft prospect Austin Hooper recently went through a private workout with the Falcons, according to a league source. Coach Dan Quinn tweeted a picture of the team's West Coast trip of workouts, which included a stop in Palo Alto, California.

          Hooper is a 6-foot-4-inch, 254-pound offensive weapon some have compared to Heath Miller, a former two-time Pro Bowler with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Hooper, a two-year starter who caught 34 passes for 438 yards (long of 42) and six touchdowns last season, could be the ideal red-zone threat along with another down-the-field target.

          Hooper ran the 40-yard dash in 4.72 seconds at the NFL combine, tied with UCLA's Thomas Duarte for the third-fastest time for tight ends behind South Carolina's Jerell Adams (4.64) and South Carolina State's Temarrick Hemmingway (4.71).

          Hooper said at the combine that any doubts about his ability to block should be answered by his background as a physical defensive lineman prior to college.

          The Falcons, who return Jacob Tamme as the primary pass-catching tight end, already have one Stanford tight end on the roster -- Levine Toilolo. There is no doubt offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan is looking for as many pass-catching weapons as possible to complement top target Julio Jones. The Falcons signed wide receiver Mohamed Sanu to be the No. 2 receiver.

          In terms of the draft, the Falcons have shown an interest Arkansas' Hunter Henry, considering the top tight end in the draft class. Henry has been projected a late-first rounder, early second-rounder with Hooper close behind.

          The Falcons have five draft picks as the April 28-30 draft approaches. That includes the 17th overall pick in the first round, a pick they seem likely to use to target a defensive playmaker.

          Some of the other players the Falcons have conducted private workouts with include Ohio State linebackers Darron Lee and Joshua Perry, Florida safety Keanu Neal, NC State offensive lineman Joe Thuney, LSU linebacker Deion Jones and Washington State guard Joe Dahl.