4 Teams ahead of the Atlanta Falcons clearly drafting a quarterback

1. Carolina Panthers

The Carolina Panthers made the gutsiest move of the off-season trading D.J. Moore and a myriad of picks to claim the first overall pick in the draft. Moving ahead of the Falcons and making sure the team has their pick of the top four prospects.

C.J. Stroud remains the safest and most likely decision for a team that cannot afford to miss after spending what it took to move up to first overall. Carolina has had a solid roster for the past three seasons but lacked a quarterback capable of giving the team consistent production.

After upgrading the team's depth in free agency all of their energy will be on making sure they have the perfect selection with the lowest risk. This should rule out both Will Levis and Anthony Richardson who in a deeper class would clearly be day two selections.

For the Falcons this move obviously has major implications and could make the Panthers the lone threat to Atlanta in the NFC South. With the Bucs rebuilding and the Saints making the decision to tie their future to Derek Carr, it is hard to see any other team in the division having a chance if Atlanta takes the step forward as expected.