NFL Draft: 3 Best Options For Falcons At No. 8
Months of speculation as to who the Atlanta Falcons will draft will come to an end Thursday night when the team makes the eighth overall selection in the 2022 NFL Draft.
The Falcons have been seen as one of the biggest question marks in the draft due to their flexibility and wide variety of needs.
With necessities to fill on both sides of the football, the question is, which need will general manager Terry Fontenot fill first?
Here's a look at the three likeliest options for the No. 8 overall pick:
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QB Malik Willis
Willis is widely seen as the top quarterback in the class. Although he isn't viewed as a Week 1 starter by many, he possesses a ton of upside worthy of the 8th overall pick.
The Falcons parted ways with their long term quarterback Matt Ryan earlier in the offseason, and picking Willis would signal the start of a new era in Atlanta.
The team could opt to wait until next year before committing to a top pick in the draft, but Willis, a Georgia native, would give the city a new face of the franchise that fans would undoubtedly get behind. That certainly has to play a factor in the head of owner Arthur Blank.
During a press conference earlier in the week, the Falcons alluded, and almost even admitted, that they would take a quarterback this weekend.
The biggest obstacle towards getting Willis comes at No. 6, where the NFC South rival Carolina Panthers also need a quarterback. If Willis falls past No. 6, it would line the Falcons up to take Willis at No. 8 if they choose to do so.
WR Drake London
Standing 6-4, London provides one of the largest frames of any wide receiver in the draft class. Often perceived as the best wideout in the class, London would immediately start in Atlanta as WR1 out of the gate.
The Falcons will look to add at least one, if not multiple, receivers in the draft to make up for the loss of Calvin Ridley (suspension) and Russell Gage (signed with Tampa Bay Buccaneers). The question is whether they feel the need to grab one in the first round given the depth at the position.
The team most likely to steal London from the Falcons would be the New York Jets at No. 4. The Jets have the No. 10 selection as well, but might use their pick on a receiver so the Falcons don't take their top choice at No. 8. London has one of the widest ranges in the draft, but the Falcons might be the sweet spot for the USC Trojan.
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WR Garrett Wilson
Wilson has probably been the most frequent pick in mock drafts for the Falcons over the past few months.
The Ohio State wide receiver enjoyed an incredibly successful junior season, catching 70 passes for 1,058 yards and 12 touchdowns in just 11 games.
The success could translate in the NFL if he's in the right position, and the Falcons are probably the most favorable landing spot for wide receivers given the team's thin depth.
Wilson has been slipping down draft boards lately after rumors revealed that he did not come across well during his interviews. However, nobody can deny the talent and he'll likely be taken in the first 15 picks.
It's hard to see any team drafting Wilson before the Falcons at No. 8 since no team ahead of Atlanta has expressed a ton of interest in adding the Buckeyes wideout. But there's been a lot of chatter surrounding a Wilson-Falcons fit and it would certainly give the team a player it needs.
