Are Atlanta Falcons 'Shopping' for a QB in Draft? Expert Makes Bold Prediction

Despite the free agent signing of Kirk Cousins, one expert is still predicting the Atlanta Falcons will take a quarterback in the first round of the NFL Draft.

Could the Atlanta Falcons take a quarterback in the first round in the upcoming NFL Draft? 

As outlandish as it may sound, this prediction comes from none other than Brian Baldinger, a former NFL offensive lineman, and current NFL Network analyst. Despite the recent signing of Kirk Cousins, Baldinger suggests that the Falcons could still be in the market for a first-round quarterback.

“I feel like Raheem Morris - I know they signed Kirk Cousins to a big deal, and Kirk Cousins can be fine. But I feel Atlanta is in the market for a quarterback. … This is the year to do it,” Baldinger said in a video released to Twitter. “They got Kirk Cousins there; nobody they draft has to play right away. They got a caretaker, maybe more than a caretaker. But I feel like the Atlanta Falcons are shopping, and they are going to be shopping for a quarterback.”

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After signing Cousins to a four-year, $180 million deal, it seems hard to imagine that the Falcons still take a quarterback in the first round. While Cousins isn’t being looked at as a long-term solution to the Falcons’ quarterback problems, as he is 35 years old and coming off an Achilles injury, it seems unlikely they’d draft his potential successor so soon. 

That isn’t to say the Falcons won’t eventually use a first-round pick on a quarterback, but considering the contract they just gave Cousins, it’d make more sense to focus on other needs first. 

Edge rusher has been the most common selection for the Falcons in mock drafts. Alabama’s Dallas Turner has become one of the favorite predictions that goes to Atlanta at No. 8 overall. However, if the Falcons decide to pass on an edge rusher for the second year in a row, then an argument can be made that a cornerback would make more sense than a quarterback in the first round.