This offseason signaled the end of an era for the Atlanta Falcons. Long-time starting quarterback Matt Ryan was traded to the Indianapolis Colts for a third-round pick, ending his 14-season run with the franchise.
To replace Ryan, the team dipped into the free-agent market. Marcus Mariota, who has spent the last two seasons with the Las Vegas Raiders as the backup to Derek Carr, signed a two-year deal and is likely going to be the starter in 2022.
The question is, how long will he have that job? Will the Falcons use him as a one-year stopgap, or will he have the opportunity to play himself into the starting job long-term? Still only 28-years old, Mariota should have plenty of football ahead of him.
Based on the latest mock draft from Chad Rueter of NFL.com, he is under the assumption that the Mariota deal was a stopgap and that Atlanta will look to the 2022 NFL Draft to find their long-term answer. Rueter is predicting Atlanta to make a huge trade up to find their quarterback.
In the mock draft, the Falcons trade up to the No. 3 overall pick in the draft, making a deal with the Houston Texans. In addition to swapping first-round picks, the Falcons add a second and fourth-rounder from this year’s draft as well to jump up six spots from No. 9.
With the third overall pick, the Falcons land Pittsburgh quarterback Kenny Pickett. Pickett was excellent for the Panthers this past season, as he was a Heisman finalist. He is likely the most NFL-ready of the prospects in this year’s class with 48 starts under his belt and 52 total appearances.
Pickett made throws at every level in 2021, torching opposing defenses along the way. He completed 67.2 percent of his passes, throwing for 4,319 yards and 42 touchdowns compared to only seven interceptions.
He possesses the size you want from a starting quarterback and has some athleticism as well. Pickett is a more than capable runner when needed with his ability to scramble or run RPOs. He may not be labeled as a true dual-threat, but opponents have to respect his ability to use his legs.
Given the current condition of the Falcons’ roster, however, it would be shocking if they traded away draft capital to move up in this year’s draft. There are holes throughout the roster and they need to replenish things using the draft picks that they have.
If they are going to select a quarterback, they will likely wait until they come on the clock at No. 9. They have someone capable of starting this season in Mariota, so they could wait until 2023 if they want to draft a quarterback. Mariota playing well would enable them to focus on other weaknesses on the roster to get this team closer to competing once again.
