'We Could Draft A QB': Falcons Potentially To Target Matt Ryan Heir?
Terry Fontenot could have drafted a quarterback this time last three. Three gunslingers went off the board back-to-back-to-back prior to the Atlanta Falcons being on the clock at No. 4.
If Fontenot wanted to add in "his guy" with the fourth pick, he had his options. Both Ohio State's Justin Fields and Alabama's Mac Jones were there for the taking. Instead, Fontenot elected to go "best player available" method and draft Florida tight end Kyle Pitts.
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A year later, that conversation is still unfolding. The Falcons are looking to start fresh at the most important position and could very well be looking to add their heir apparent to Matt Ryan as early as No. 8 come Thursday evening.
"We're not going to give away what we could do at No. 8 or any other pick, but we could come out of this draft with a quarterback," Fontenot said Tuesday at the Falcons' pre-draft press conference. "We want to add to that room and we'll see what happens. We've done a lot of work on this class just like we did last year."
Atlanta traded Ryan this offseason to the Indianapolis Colts in exchange for a third-round pick. Despite adding in Marcus Mariota, the Falcons potentially view him as a bridge option rather than full-time franchise starter.
Mariota, 29, understands coach Arthur Smith's offense, having spent the first five years of his career working with him in Tennessee. There's a sense of stability with him commanding the team to begin the season, but Atlanta likely knows his limitations as a passer.
In Tennessee, Mariota was benched for Ryan Tannehill midseason. He spent the past two seasons as Derek Carr's backup with the Las Vegas Raiders, playing in only a select amount of snaps that mattered.
If Atlanta where the target a quarterback with its first selection, the two obvious candidates would be Pitt's Kenny Pickett or Liberty's Malik Wills. Pickett offers the chance to start right away, having been the Panthers' starter for 52 games in five seasons.
Wills, a native of Georgia and growing up just hours outside downtown Atlanta, provides more upside. His mechanics are in need of adjustments, as are his decision-making skills when it comes to passing downfield. But the talent? It's there.
Smith worked with turning Tannehill into a Pro Bowl playoff-caliber quarterback during his two seasons as the Titans' offensive coordinator. He spent weeks working on the fine print of passing, electing to worry about completions and consistency rather than wow throws and highlight reel touchdowns.
One shouldn't also rule out a potential trade up into the first round. The Falcons have two second- and third-round selections, two of which could be used to move back up late in hopes of securing a quarterback that would have a fifth-year options.
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The two likely candidates in that process would be Cincinnati's Desmond Ridder or Ole Miss' Matt Corral. Ridder has four years of starting experience and compared his game similar to that of Tannehill. Corral has a bit more potential in terms of deep ball accuracy and mobility when asked to play maneuver outside the pocket.
Early expectations suggests that at least three quarterbacks will be selected in the first round of the draft, but Atlanta could be the first to add its next face of the franchise if it elects to make the selection at No. 8.
"There's a lot of variables of wire player is successful and why some are not, " Smith said. "A lot of it is fit. When you're taking a player, primarily a quarterback, really at any portion of the draft, you have to have a plan."
