Falcons Could Have Their Next Franchise QB - In 2023?
The Atlanta Falcons traded away the long-time face of their franchise in Matt Ryan on Monday. As the No. 3 overall pick in 2008, Ryan brought some stability back to the franchise after the Michael Vick saga unfolded as it did. And he did just that.
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But now that the Ryan era has ended in Atlanta, and it's time to usher in a new time. Marcus Mariota was immediately brought in to play quarterback, but that isn't a long-term solution.
In the wake of the Ryan trade and even amid the Mariota signing, an interesting thing happened in the Twitterverse - the name Bryce Young started to trend.
The rising superstar University of Alabama quarterback already has several awards under his belt, including the 2021 Heisman Trophy. But now it seems some are ready to crown him King of Atlanta, as the next Falcons franchise quarterback.
Young still has at least one more year in college, but it's widely expected that he'll be the first overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. And the way the Falcons are trending right now, it's not impossible that they'll possess that pick.
In his first year as a starter at Alabama, Young threw for 4,872 yards and 47 touchdowns to just seven interceptions. Young also won the Maxwell, Manning, and Davey O'Brien awards.
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We're still over a full calendar year away from the 2023 NFL Draft, but Young and Ohio State's CJ Stroud seem to be the top two candidates to be the first quarterback taken.
