The Atlanta Falcons made a play for Deshaun Watson, but they ultimately fell short as the Cleveland Browns won those sweepstakes. In the aftermath of the Watson chase, the Falcons traded longtime franchise quarterback Matt Ryan and signed Marcus Mariota to replace him.
However, that doesn't mean Atlanta is done adding to its quarterback room this offseason, because the only other QB on the depth chart is youngster Feleipe Franks. Falcons general manager Terry Fontenot said the franchise still plans to add at least one more player at the position:
#Falcons GM Terry Fontenot said the team will add at the QB position via the draft, trade or free agency. Plan is to scout what's considered a weak QB draft class. "It's an exciting class," TF said. "We're going to dig into this class." Said they are not going "reach" for a QB.
— D. Orlando Ledbetter (@DOrlandoAJC) March 23, 2022
Atlanta has the No. 8 pick in the 2022 NFL Draft and could look to draft a new franchise quarterback. While this is considered a weak draft class for quarterbacks, perhaps they fall in love with somebody and take him eighth overall, though Fontenot notes they don't want to “reach” for one.
Malik Willis was really impressive at his Pro Day, but there are major question marks there with him and fellow quarterback prospect Kenny Pickett, so their draft position seems like a total wild card at this point. Perhaps QB-needy teams get desperate and take them high, or perhaps they slip into the mid-to-late first round. It seems like either possibility is on the table at this point, so the Falcons will have to do their homework and make a sound decision.
Mariota is a perfectly acceptable stopgap option for a rebuilding team, but he's likely not the long-term answer unless he has a shocking resurgence. Atlanta has a lot of work to do as it enters the post-Matty Ice era.
