NFL Draft: One trade could answer three big questions for the Falcons

Atlanta Falcons staying put in the 2021 NFL draft doesn’t make sense.

The Atlanta Falcons will have a lot of options with the fourth overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft and taking a quarterback is something that this team will not do no matter how many times mock draft experts tell you they will.

There has already been a lot of change for the 2021 season and that means the 2021 NFL draft is going to have a lot of deals done heading into that weekend and a lot of deals happening while teams are on the clock.

There are a lot of teams that have immediate needs at quarterback and several of them are in no position to draft one of the main four of this draft class – Trevor Lawrence, Mac Jones, Justin Fields, or Zach Wilson.

While this writer believes that Fields, Wilson, and Jones are all busts, that doesn’t mean teams will not be ready to wheel and deal to draft one of them.

Thank you, Phillip Rivers!

With Philip Rivers announcing his retirement from the NFL it put an immediate need at quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts.

They have a great offensive line, a strong defense, and are solid at most other positions. They currently sit at 21 and maybe itching to jump into the Top 5 to draft one of the four previously stated quarterbacks.

The Atlanta Falcons should jump at a chance to make a deal with the Colts.

Swap the fourth overall and 21st pick, along with taking the Colts 54th overall in the second round, and use that to draft a running back and someone up front on both the offensive and defensive lines.

By making that trade with the Colts, the Atlanta Falcons would be able to draft Najee Harris at 21st overall to improve their run game and then they could take someone like offensive lineman Deonte Brown out of Alabama with the Falcons 35th pick for the offensive line and Chris Rumph for the defensive line at 54th with Colts second-round choice.

No matter what you think of Najee Harris, he will be available at 21.

The Falcons would be able to solve three of their major issues within the first 54 picks of the draft and still have the 68th pick at the start of the third round to address other issues or add some much-needed depth at others.

New general manager Terry Fontenot is a great place with all the options that he will have at his disposal as a first-year GM. Between him and new head coach Arthur Smith, they should be able to make a few small moves and get the Falcons right back in the NFC playoff picture quickly.