By: Jake Rajala

The Atlanta Falcons are one of the biggest sleepers in the NFC. The Falcons play in a division with Tom Brady and the LSU Saints, while they also abide in an NFC conference featuring countless young, dual-threat quarterbacks.

If Marcus Mariota or Desmond Riddler can be a modest dual-threat QB like the 2021 version of Jalen Hurts, the Falcons could win several plus games and keep Arthur Smith from meeting the chopping block. With that said, the NFC South team that isn’t completely rebuilding should still help their new QB and add more ammunition. Here are a few remaining free agent targets for the Falcons.

• Cole Beasley

I’d love to see the Falcons target a shifty WR to play across from the explosive Cordarralle Patterson and the rook Drake London. Cole Beasley is unequivocally one of the best diamonds in the rough among all available free agents. He has 82 receptions in each of the past two seasons and he could be a fine security blanket for Riddler or Mariota. The former Bill would also be very helpful when Patterson is lined up at RB. The Falcons could feel happy with Kyle Pitts, Drake London, Beasley, and Patterson in their offensive unit.

• Sheldon Richardson

The former Jets first-round pick Sheldon Richardson is a versatile maniac and he would be a superb fit for the Falcons defensive front. Richardson has seven sacks and 11 QB hits over the past two seasons combined. Richardson and Grady Jarrett would be an amazing tandem in the NFC South.

• Nick Foles

I believe the Falcons QB room is exciting, unique, and Riddler could truly have a high ceiling. Nonetheless, it may be wise to bring in another veteran QB. Nick Foles was recently released and he could be a nice, value signing. Mariota and Riddler aren’t a sure-fire quality starting QB and Mariota has had many injuries in the past. It may be wise for ATL to sign the Super Bowl LII champion before another team signs the Philly hero.

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By: Adam Hulse (@AdamHulseSports)

Times are changing in Atlanta for the Falcons. They have started the process of moving on from the “Matt Ryan Era” and into a new future. Two major moves were made by the organization this offseason to indicate that the time has come to move forward. First, they hired a brand new head coach in Arthur Smith, who is a young and innovative offensive-minded coach. A move like this usually means a new QB is soon to follow and that is probably what will happen with the Falcons. They do not have a real replacement yet for the 36-year-old Matt Ryan, so that will likely be the number one focus in the 2022 NFL Draft.

The young options that they do have on the roster, Josh Rosen and Felipe Franks, are less than inspiring to say the least while AJ McCarron has proven to be no more than a solid backup in his career. When an organization brings in a young and exciting head coach, it only seems right to allow him to seek out a young and exciting quarterback to pair with him. The Draft is the best place to do that, especially considering the Falcons will likely have a top 10 pick this year. The rebuild has already started, and is signaled by the second major move they made this offseason. That is of course trading their superstar wide receiver, and probably the best WR in the NFL over the last decade, in Julio Jones. All of that being said, here is who the Falcons can target at QB in the 2022 NFL Draft.

Spencer Rattler, Oklahoma

Oklahoma and the Lincoln Reilly offensive system have been a factory for quarterbacks in recent years, producing first overall picks and Heisman Trophy winners in Kyler Murray and Baker Mayfield. Next up is Spencer Rattler and he has all of the tools to follow in their footsteps. He is the preseason favorite to win the Heisman Trophy and is projected to have a huge season with the Sooners. He had a solid 2020 season passing for 3031 yards and 28 touchdowns while also rushing for an additional six touchdowns. He is a very high upside prospect, especially coming from this program that has proven they can develop NFL-ready quarterbacks. If Rattler lives up to his expectations he very well may command the first overall pick in the draft, which is unlikely to be the Falcons pick. If he falls a bit, or Atlanta trades up, Rattler would be a very intriguing pairing for head coach Arthur Smith.

Malik Willis, Liberty

Willis is an incredible athlete with extreme raw talent and has some of the highest upside of any player in the entire country. He fits the modern-day style of NFL quarterback with his true dual-threat ability. In the 2020 season, he threw for 2250 yards with 20 touchdowns and added an additional 944 yards and 14 touchdowns on the ground. Of course, playing at Liberty means that he is not exactly going against the toughest of competition, but those types of numbers are extremely impressive regardless. Arthur Smith is a creative offensive mind and a talent like Willis would open up endless possibilities for schemes and designs. It would be an exciting opportunity for Smith and an ideal situation for Willis, especially considering the Falcons have a reputation for being very patient with the growth of their coaches and key players. If all things play out the way they “should” than this is an ideal match.

Sam Howell, North Carolina

In two seasons as the starting quarterback for the Tar Heels, Howell has passed for 7227 yards with 68 touchdowns and only 14 interceptions. Many scouts believe that he is the best pure pocket passer available with the best arm talent in the country. While he is less dangerous with his legs than some of the other quarterback options, he is still mobile enough to roll out of the pocket and make things happen on the move. He has the “typical build for a quarterback” at 6’1 and 220 pounds with elite accuracy and very respectable throwing power. He is still only 20 years old so he can realistically still get even bigger and can definitely improve his game and raise his rating as a prospect even higher than it already is. Like Rattler, Howell is an early candidate for the Heisman and for the first overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. Arthur Smith would be excited to work with Howell if he ends up in Atlanta.

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By: Andy Davies

The Atlanta Falcons had a disastrous 2020 season, with a gradual freefall since their heartbreaking Super Bowl 51 loss to the New England Patriots.

Just over four years on and the Falcons have a new head coach after Dan Quinn was fired during the 2020 season.

His replacement is Arthur Smith, who spent two seasons as the Tennesee Titans’ offensive coordinator. He oversaw the arrival and improvement of Ryan Tannehill, who won the Comeback Player Of The Year’ after an impressive 2019 season. Is Smith the man to turn Atlanta’s fortunes around?

The Offense He Will Inherit

Despite their 4-12 record in 2020, Atlanta still has a great offense.

Matt Ryan continues to go under the radar, with yet another 4,000-yard season in 2020. He threw for 26 touchdowns and 11 interceptions but was sacked 41 times.

The offensive line was an issue for the Falcons, as was their run game.

Former Los Angeles Rams running back Todd Gurley may have scored 9 touchdowns but only recorded 678 rushing yards. The Gurley experiment is over after just one season.

Former Carolina Panther Mike Davis, who had a breakout season in 2020 during Christian McCaffrey’s absence, will now take the role as the lead back in Atlanta unless Atlanta takes a running back during the draft.

Legendary wide receiver Julio Jones had a rare down year, with just three touchdowns and 771 receiving yards in 9 games during 2020. Calvin Ridley saw more progression in his NFL career by becoming the top Falcons receiver. He scored nine touchdowns and caught for 1,374 receiving yards.

Wideout Russell Gage (786) and tight end Hayden Hurst (571) both played their part when it comes to receiving yards recorded in 2020, combining for ten touchdowns between them.

It is not the offense that is the problem. With the Falcons’ struggles in defense, this is the issue for the Falcons and is one that Smith will need to address for the 2021 season and beyond.

Working On The Defense

The Falcons kept finding new ways to lose in 2020. This included Todd Gurley “accidentally” scoring a touchdown against the Lions.

Atlanta finished last in passing yards allowed (4,697), 18th in total points allowed (414) and 29th in total yards (6,374). Despite this, only five teams allowed fewer rushing yards in 2020 than the Falcons (1,677).

Linebackers Foyesade Oluokun and Deion Jones recorded over 100 tackles each. No Falcons player recorded more than 4.5 sacks. No defensive back had more than 3 interceptions and Oloukun recorded the most forced fumbles with 4.

This shows an issue all around. The Linebacker position seems to be the only area Falcons fans can be happy with, specifically Oloukun, who was Atlanta’s leader in tackles, sacks and forced fumbles.

Atlanta’s fourth overall pick appears too high for a defensive player unless they trade down.

There is bound to be a defensive stud available in the second round, should the Falcons stick with the number four pick. Securing multiple defensive players throughout the draft can go a long way to make Atlanta a threat on both sides of the ball.

The Power Of Their Fourth Overall Pick

Atlanta has the fourth overall pick. With this, they hold plenty of power. The 2021 Draft class is filled with several top quarterback prospects. It will be hard to see Trevor Lawrence and Zach Wilson available when the fourth pick is on the clock.

The San Francisco 49ers traded up to obtain the third overall pick. This almost guarantees that they will take a quarterback, especially with the 49ers openly talking up the idea of taking a QB at 3. Mac Jones appears to be the favorite but we could also see Justin Fields or Trey Lance.

Teams such as the Denver Broncos and New England Patriots have been rumored to want a quarterback in this year’s draft. It is not out of the question that the Chicago Bears or Washington Football team take a quarterback for the future.

Ryan is still putting up the numbers. As a result, it feels too soon to take a quarterback in the draft.

As previously mentioned, defense is the area that Atlanta needs the most in the draft. Most of the teams in the top 10 need offensive weapons, which means that the top defensive prospects will be still available. The Denver Broncos and New England Patriots are two teams that seem the most likely to trade up.

Being an offensive-minded coach, Smith may want to add to the roster with a tight end prospect as good as Kyle Pitts. Otherwise, it is more than likely that the Falcons should trade down, collect draft capital and help a struggling defense.

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