Peter King tabs Falcons as potential destination for QB Jalen Hurts in NFL Draft
The 2020 NFL Draft is a short three days a way, and rumors are flying around as expected. Last week, the Atlanta Falcons were reportedly "strangely interested" in quarterbacks. While that report was referring to (roughly) the 10-20 range on the board, Peter King of NBC offered a more sensible take in his Football Morning in America piece this morning.
King cited the Falcons (along with the Baltimore Ravens) as a potential second-round destination for former Alabama and Oklahoma quarterback Jalen Hurts. Most found the previous report about the Falcons being interested in a QB in the first round ridiculous, given Matt Ryan's $62 million cap hit in the event of a trade, as well as the fact that there's little evidence to suggest a rapid decline in his production.
Still, Ryan will be 35 years old whenever the 2020 season kicks off, and one could understand why the Falcons may want to add a young talent to the QB room. The efficacy of the Ravens run first offense with Lamar Jackson under the helm the past two seasons has seemingly drawn teams to Hurts more than most expected. ESPN's Mel Kiper projected him to be selected No. 49 by the Pittsburgh Steelers in his latest mock, and noted he'll be surprised if Hurts slips out of the second round.
Grabbing a talent like Hurts in the second round is inherently more defensible than the Falcons dedicating first-round draft capital to a quarterback in their current landscape, but it's still a decision that will be met with skepticism from fans who believe all of the club's eggs should be in the basket of winning a championship in 2020.
In the event Hurts is in fact drafted to Atlanta, he would probably slot in third behind Matt Schaub on the depth chart, and be at the helm of some sort of rushing package as a change-up/short yardage option for the Falcons' standard offense under Dirk Koetter and Ryan. If Hurts gets scooped up before the No. 47 pick, look for the Falcons to further address the defense or potentially pick up an interior offensive lineman.
With the Falcons first-round selection likely dedicated towards the defense (whether it be a cornerback, pass rusher, or otherwise), the second round now represents a territory of mystery for Falcons fans. Thomas Dimitroff is seemingly leaving no stone unturned as he makes an effort to get Atlanta back on the right track after missing the playoffs in back-to-back seasons.
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