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Atlanta Falcons might be toughest team to peg for first-round selection

By Andrew Boardwine

ATLANTA, GEORGIA - DECEMBER 20: Devin White #45 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers sacks Matt Ryan #2 of the Atlanta Falcons during the fourth quarter in the game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on December 20, 2020 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - DECEMBER 20: Devin White #45 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers sacks Matt Ryan #2 of the Atlanta Falcons during the fourth quarter in the game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on December 20, 2020 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /
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Atlanta Falcons might be toughest team to peg for first-round selection

Who will the Atlanta Falcons pick in the first-round of the 2021 NFL Draft? If you ask 10 different experts, you might very well get 10 different answers.

Even if answers aren’t quite that diverse, the truth of the matter is that the Atlanta Falcons are one of the toughest teams to peg for their first-round selection in the entire draft.

Most NFL analysts have the Falcons going one of three ways:

  1. They draft the heir apparent to Matt Ryan
  2. They address the defensive side of the ball (Ie. edge-rusher, cornerback)
  3. They trade back and have a whole host of options later in the first-round

Depending on who you ask, there are very different pictures being painted for the Atlanta Falcons’ draft situation

Some national analysts were probably surprised to hear the report that the Falcons weren’t likely trade Matt Ryan or Julio Jones. Many think the Falcons are done competing with Ryan at the helm and the only answer is to draft his replacement and begin looking ahead to a few years down the road.

Still, others believe the Falcons might be able to compete for the postseason again with the right additional pieces on the defensive side of the ball and potential game-changing running back to pair with Matt Ryan in the backfield.

Wherever you fall on the spectrum will dilute your perception on what the Falcons should do with their No. 4 overall pick.

Should they trade back to gain more draft capital for later rounds? Should they go after a quarterback who may or not have the ability to become the cornerstone of the franchise? Should they address the defensive side of the ball in hopes that an added edge-rusher or defensive back might fortify the roster and bring about different results from the last few years?

Next. Report: Falcons aren't trading Matt Ryan, Julio Jones. dark

We’ll continue to explore what the Falcons should do throughout this spring heading into the NFL Draft, but one thing is for sure: This is not an easy team to peg on a draft board by any means.