Three position groups the Atlanta Falcons will not touch in the first round

Expect that unexpected when it comes to the Atlanta Falcons draft in 2021.

With the Atlanta Falcons having a new head coach for the first time since 2015 and a new general manager for the first time since 2008, we have no idea what the franchise will value in this year’s draft.

However, what we can figure out is the needs of the roster.

Both head coach Arthur Smith and defensive coordinator Dean Pees have both said this roster has a really explosive playmaking base to it and pieces just need to be added. When you get done being disgruntled with Matt Ryan and actually look at this roster, they are right – there are a lot of talented pieces.

However, that doesn’t mean there aren’t holes and needs. We know they need offensive line help, pass rushers, running backs, and secondary and linebacker depth. The order that they deem more significant than others is unknown.

That said, with a little bit of common sense, we can eliminate several position groups from the first round. Here are the groups that the Atlanta Falcons will not use a first-round pick for in 2021.

Quarterback

At this point, can we all stop talking about it? The Atlanta Falcons are not drafting Mac Jones, Trey Lance, Justin Fields, Kyle Trask, or any other quarterback in the first round.

It has been verified this week that the franchise hasn’t even entertained the thought of getting rid of Matt Ryan, so why would they use a first-round pick let alone a Top 5 pick on a quarterback?

A cash strapped team is not going to pay another quarterback $8-$10 million a year, on average, to sit the bench and learn. They will add someone via free agency, but they will not make a big splash at this position in 2021.

Running back

Some rather comical news came out yesterday that Todd Gurley is going to reach out to the Atlanta Falcons brass about coming back in 2021 because he likes what Arthur Smith did with feature back Derrick Henry in Tennessee.

Uh, Todd, you aren’t a featured back anymore. Your knees won’t allow you to be. Please retire before you do too much more long-term damage.

While the Atlanta Falcons do need help in this area, it isn’t a huge priority – certainly not one that they are going to use a first-round pick on. Look across the league, running backs are a dime a dozen and while there are a few first-round backs in this draft, the Falcons will be taking any of them.

Secondary

When you look at the depth of corners in this draft, there are some really good players, but there aren’t any that are elite.

Corners like Patrick Surtain II from Alabama, Caleb Farley from Virginia Tech, Jaycee Horn from South Carolina, and Eric Stokes from UGA are good but none of them have that first-round pop that you expect to see from that position.

If we are being 100 percent truthful, the corners on this roster now are just as good as any of these prospects. Put on the tape of all of these players and there is plenty of film of them getting burnt. They would all be effective but if you take a corner in the first round, he needs to be a shutdown corner not effective.

This draft is even worse for safeties.

The only safety that will be taken in the first two rounds will be Trevon Moehrig from TCU. He has great playmaking ability but he is a back of the first-round talent not an elite front of the draft type guy.

Common sense tells us that the Atlanta Falcons are more than likely going to go offensive line or pass rush with their first pick in 2021. Expect to land either Penei Sewell from Oregon or Micah Parsons from Penn State with the fourth overall pick.