Atlanta Falcons aren’t drafting a QB with the No. 4 overall pick

Atlanta Falcons aren’t drafting a QB with the No. 4 overall pick

As much as many Atlanta Falcons fans are ready to move on from Matt Ryan, the truth of the matter is that we shouldn’t be expecting the Falcons to find his successor in the first-round of the 2021 NFL Draft.

We’re progressing ever so slowly towards the 2021 NFL Draft and we’re starting to see more and more NFL analysts reveal their first few Mock Drafts and it seems like almost every single one have the Falcons going with a quarterback.

As a matter of fact, the latest from CBS Sports has the Atlanta Falcons trading up to No. 2 overall in the draft to secure BYU QB Zach Wilson. That mock draft has three QBs going in the top-three picks with Trevor Lawrence at No. 1, Wilson at No. 2 and Justin Fields at No. 3.

While we’re going to continue to hear about how the ‘Falcons need to find a successor to Matt Ryan,’ it simply doesn’t make sense for the franchise to take a gamble on a quarterback.

National analysts are convinced that the Atlanta Falcons are done for years to come

If you have the Falcons drafting a quarterback in the top-five of this year’s draft, what you are essentially saying is that the franchise is done competing as long as Matt Ryan is on the roster.

You’ve given up hope that Ryan can lead this team to a playoff appearance and that the only thing the Falcons are doing is biding time until they can move on from his expensive contract and take the franchise in a new direction.

If that’s the case, then we’re in for a long rebuild.

You’re talking about wasting the final years of Ryan and Julio Jones. You’re talking about giving up on Grady Jarrett. You’re talking about having a mind’s eye on 2023 or possibly even later. That’s a long time for a fan base to simply wait with a new head coach and general manager to have any kind of success.

We’re not saying that the Falcons shouldn’t be looking for Ryan’s successor. Perhaps using a top-five pick on a quarterback is the smartest way to secure the future, but that’s not what we’re convinced is going to happen.

The Falcons have so many other needs to address and Terry Fontenot has expressed that he is more concerned with drafting the best player available. That tells me he’s not looking to take a gamble on a quarterback like Wilson or Fields who both may prove to be anything but franchise QBs at the next level.