2024 Atlanta Falcons mock draft: What it would look like with a trade-up for a Quarterback

Second round (No. 43 overall): WR Troy Franklin, Oregon

The Falcons need someone with speed to take the top off of a defense. They currently have some great intermediate and short-route guys with Bijan Robinson, Jonnu Smith, Kyle Pitts, and Drake London. It would also help if that burner could also be a yards-after-catch specialist who can take any catch to the end zone from any spot on the field a la Tyreek Hill or Julio Jones. The Falcons were missing a massive speed element from their offense under Arthur Smith, and that's something that needs to change.

Troy Franklin out of Oregon is a true burner that will stretch defenses. He's someone with the yards-after-catch ability that would be fantastic in an offense designed by Zac Robinson. More than all of that, Franklin is used to being asked to run the routes that clear out the underneath parts of the field for other players to make plays closer to the line of scrimmage. Franklin is a burner who always goes full-bore on every route he runs. The weaknesses he has are more lateral agility things than anything else. On top of that, even though he's a willing blocker, he's not a very good blocker.

Also of note, the Falcons only have one wide receiver from the 2023 offense who caught a pass under contract in 2024. The Falcons need bodies there. While some guys might get re-signed like Mack Hollins, KhaDarel Hodge, and maybe even Van Jefferson, it would be a shock to see any of these guys start or even be the No. 3 wide receiver in the offense in 2024. Zac Robinson will have his hands full already trying to design the offense, but he needs that burner, and none of these guys has shown enough consistency to be the kind of burner that Troy Franklin is.