Let’s be honest: The Atlanta Falcons never played well against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday. The 44-27 loss gave them a 4-12 record this season, but it also secured the fourth overall pick in April’s NFL Draft. There will be many thoughts and ideas of what the Falcons should do with the selection.
Brigham Young University quarterback Zach Wilson? Penn State linebacker Micah Parsons?
There will be plenty of options from that spot, including trading down. Here are my thoughts.
Fight: Zach Wilson, Justin Fields or Mac Jones’ fitting behind Matt Ryan.
The first question I would likely get is, “Why did you list Mac Jones?”
Well, it comes down to this: Justin Fields and Zach Wilson may come off the draft board before the Falcons make their selection.
The follow-up question: Did you really not think about taking Penn State linebacker Micah Parsons?
For April 29, the Jacksonville Jaguars have the first overall pick, followed by the New York Jets and Houston Texans (who acquired the Miami Dolphins’ pick via trade).
The Jaguars and Jets desperately need new quarterbacks. Enter Clemson’s Trevor Laurence and Ohio State’s Justin Fields to keep things simple.
The Dolphins will likely go non-quarterback, seeing that rookie Tua Tugavailoa is the clear-cut starter for the future. Now, does Miami go wide receiver and select LSU’s Ja’Marr Chase? Let’s assume so, just for fun.
This brings us to the Falcons, who could take Wilson, Jones or Fields, allow them to learn behind Ryan and take over the offense soon. The 2021 quarterback class is deep, but they may not all be ready to play immediately.
For the Falcons to walk away satisfied, they do not need to overthink the selection. Take the prospective quarterback: Let him learn behind future Hall of Famer Matt Ryan and begin a new era on offense.
Flight: Patrick Surtain II over those top-tier quarterbacks
I do not understand why I have been hearing fans wanting Alabama cornerback Patrick Surtain II for the Falcons.
There is no doubt that he is an outstanding player and could develop into a solid shutdown corner. The problem with picking a corner, though, like with A.J. Terrell, is that the team needs more help in defense.
Offenses can do so many things to offset a corner: throw away from him, run the ball, draw up a quick pass, the list goes on. It is a big concern that the Falcons could barely pressure opposing quarterbacks this season due to their lack of pass rushers.
So, if the Falcons were to take a defensive product at four, the obvious and logical choice is Parsons.
A quarterback transforms the Falcons’ offense with Parsons, Fields or Wilson’s potential. The Crimson Tide’s Surtain II will undoubtedly go in the first round, but it should not be to the Falcons.
