With the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft in their rearview mirror, the Atlanta Falcons now sport one of the best air attacks in the NFL. Quarterback Matt Ryan is still only a few years removed from both an MVP-caliber season and Super Bowl appearance, Julio Jones and Calvin Ridley are still a great 1-2 punch, and Kyle Pitts is profiling like a bigger, more athletic Travis Kelce.

Whoa. That's a lot of potential for the Falcons.

It remains to be seen if the Falcons' defense can keep up with their offense going into this season, but the Falcons are apparently sticking to their offensive refurbishment project. What else is there left to fix? Well, if Matt Ryan goes down again, the team needs a backup, and preferably one that wouldn't threaten his status or the team's investment.

To that, the Falcons just announced who they've pegged as the next man up if Ryan goes down:

Wait, pause. Falcons fans and everyone else might be asking: “AJ McCarron is still in the league!?”

That's right, AJ McCarron is still in the league, and is still one of the more dependable backup signal callers left on the market. But if nothing else, this shows the faith that Atlanta and new Falcons head coach Arthur Smith have in Matt Ryan to have a few peak years left in the tank. Because boy, do they need it, especially given how week next year's rookie class is poised to be at the quarterback position.

This Falcons offense is sneakily oozing with top tier weaponry at the skill positions, and we shouldn't pretend that their full potential can be unlocked with AJ McCarron making throws.

Matt Ryan, this Falcons team and the city of Atlanta are telling you loud and clear after this move: Please stay healthy.