With most of the NFL looking for quarterback help, the Atlanta Falcons find themselves in an interesting position. The team currently holds the fourth pick in the draft, and nobody knows what they’ll do with it. Matt Ryan is still a good quarterback, but he is getting up there in age and the opportunity to draft Justin Fields or Zach Wilson might be too good to pass up. Assuming one of these three falls to the fourth-overall pick, should the Falcons go all-in on the future or try to maximize the final years of the Matt Ryan Era?
Is Drafting A Quarterback Smart For the Atlanta Falcons?
Why They Should
Quarterback is easily the most important position in the league, and no team can truly compete without having a great option under center. The NFL Draft is an inexact science, but consensus seems to be that there are three elite quarterback prospects in this draft: Trevor Lawrence, Justin Fields, and Zach Wilson. For the sake of argument, let’s assume that Atlanta’s front office believes that all three have the making of a true franchise quarterback.
Chances are, one of those three will be on the board when the Falcons are on the clock. The Jacksonville Jaguars and New York Jets will definitely take a quarterback, but the Miami Dolphins have publicly expressed their belief in Tua Tagovailoa. This means that, barring something unforeseen, one of the top quarterbacks should make it to the fourth-overall pick.
Pulling the trigger on whichever quarterback is left standing probably makes the Falcons a worse team in 2021. However, it secures the long-term future of the franchise, which is arguably more important. If the Falcons aren’t an offseason away from competing, then it’s in the best interest of the team to find a guy that can take them to the promised land down the road.
Why They Shouldn’t
Getting a quarterback of the future is good, but it doesn’t help in the short term. Matt Ryan might not have another MVP season left in his system, but he still has plenty to offer as an average to above-average starter. Ryan finished the season ranked 12th in PFF grade, 17th in EPA/play, and 16th in ESPN’s QBR metric. He did all this while losing Austin Hooper to free agency and Julio Jones to free agency. Patrick Mahomes he’s not, but this performance shows that Ryan should have another handful of seasons of good play in his tank.
Of course, a few seasons of good play doesn’t mean that much if the team doesn’t stand a chance of competing for a title. Typically, any team holding the fourth-overall pick is destined to be in for a long rebound, but the Falcons aren’t your typical team. In what’s becoming something of an annual tradition, Atlanta played much better than their record and should have been an 8-8 team. There is a solid foundation in place, especially considering Drew Brees is retired and the Saints are about to pay for mortgaging their future for years on end.
The Falcons might not want to take a quarterback with the fourth overall pick, but some other team will. Atlanta could sell that pick for an absolute fortune and get several key players to solidify their defense and offensive line. The Falcons could easily earn double-digit wins in 2021, but they won’t do it if they take a quarterback early.
The Verdict
Ultimately, there is a strong case to be made for either side of the debate. However, the best move is probably to build for the future and draft one of the elite quarterbacks. Even with the Saints presumably taking a step back in 2021, the Falcons still have to share a division with Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The right to draft a true franchise quarterback doesn’t come around very often, and the Falcons shouldn’t miss the opportunity to secure their future for the next 20 years. While it might erase any hope of Matt Ryan finally earning a Super Bowl, it’s the best move given the current state of the franchise.
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