Atlanta Falcons take quarterback despite signing Kirk Cousins in mock draft

Round 1 Pick #8 Laiatu Latu

In this mock draft, the Atlanta Falcons were faced with three clear options and landed on Latu. With all of the elite quarterbacks and Joe Alt off the board, the pick had to be at edge. Dallas Turner is the other consideration and could be made a strong case for.

However, Latu is far too complete a pass rusher to not consider his ability to sneak inside the top ten. Give the Falcons a player who doesn't need many adjustments to have success getting to the passer at the next level.

The concerns with Latu are about his ability to finish plays as a run defender or being fooled by motion. Still, his elite ability demands consideration.

Round 2 Pick #43 Michael Penix Jr.

Taking a quarterback in the second round makes sense for the Falcons if Penix is still on the board. Despite signing Cousins the team should be searching for someone they believe they can turn into a franchise quarterback. Even if Cousins were to play at a high level all four years it is better to be prepared than simply have no plan as they did with Matt Ryan.

Penix is a great fit for this system and would be a huge win in the second round. It seems more likely Penix is a late-day one pick.