Falcons Target Texas Prospect But Not Arch Manning in Early 2027 NFL Mock Draft

The Atlanta Falcons could have a need at quarterback next offseason. Veteran free agent signing Tua Tagovailoa is only under contract for the 2026 season. Furthermore, former first-round pick Michael Penix Jr. will be entering a potential contract year for a regime that didn't draft him.

If the Falcons are picking in the top 10 next spring, it's safe to conclude the 2026 campaign didn't go well for either Tagovailoa or Penix. In a way-too-early mock draft from Pro Football Focus's Daire Carragher this week, the Falcons owned the No. 10 pick.

But Carragher didn't have the Falcons targeting a quarterback. Instead, the PFF analyst had Atlanta targeting one of the current teammates of Arch Manning (who could be the top quarterback off the board) -- Texas offensive tackle Trevor Goosby.

"Left tackle Jake Matthews will be 35 next offseason, while right tackle Jawaan Taylor will be an unrestricted free agent," wrote Carragher. "There are several options for the first tackle off the board, but Goosby stands out after looking NFL-ready in his first season as a starter.

"He posted PFF grades above 80.0 in both pass protection and run blocking after taking over for Kelvin Banks Jr."

Falcons Projected to Select Texas OT Trevor Goosby in Very Early 2027 NFL Mock Draft

In a perfect world, either Tagovailoa or Penix cements himself as Atlanta's future franchise quarterback next offseason.

If Tagovailoa does that, it will be expensive to re-sign him. But the Falcons will do it if it means having their brightest quarterback future since the Matt Ryan era.

Should Penix become the team's starter again, the Falcons can exercise the fifth-year option to lock him in for 2028. That will give the team time to agree to a long-term deal with the quarterback.

Next year wouldn't be the worst time to need a quarterback entering the NFL Draft. It's still a year away, but the 2027 class behind center is supposed to be significantly better than this year or last year's.

But Carragher appears to see the 2027 quarterback class as top heavy. In his mock, four quarterbacks went off the board in the top 8. After that, though, there were no other signal-callers projected to be first-round picks in the rest of the mock.

Other pundits don't necessarily see it that way. Carragher, though, had the Falcons notably addressing tackle at No. 10.

Regardless of what happens at quarterback in Atlanta this fall, tackle will be a significant need for the team next offseason. As Carragher explained, Jake Matthews is aging, and Jawaan Taylor is not a long-term solution.

The Falcons only signed Taylor because right tackle Kaleb McGary suddenly retired this spring.

The Falcons drafted Matthews at No. 6 overall in the 2014 NFL Draft. He arrived as a Day 1 starter during his rookie campaign.

Over 12 seasons, Matthews has started 196 games. He's only made one Pro Bowl, but Matthews has been Mr. Consistent, anchoring the left side of Atlanta's offensive line.

Quarterbacks are always sexier picks than offensive linemen. But if the Falcons landed Matthews's future replacement in the top 10 next year, the team would give itself a great chance of seamlessly transitioning to the next era at left tackle.

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