Falcons 2021 NFL Draft primer: Will they draft heir to Matt Ryan?
By Cory Kinnan
It was a year to forget for the Atlanta Falcons.
From blowing a handful of big leads this season to the midseason firing of head coach Dan Quinn and general manager Thomas Dimitroff, Atlanta is continuing their facelift from new jerseys to new staff as well. After finishing the 2020 campaign with a record of 4-12, the Falcons brought in the man who revived the career of Ryan Tannehill in the former offensive coordinator of the Tennessee Titans, Arthur Smith. To replace Dimitroff, the Falcons hired Terry Fontenot as their new general manager.
There is one question that remains: what is the future of quarterback Matt Ryan?
Will Falcons draft Matt Ryan’s replacement?
The good news for Ryan and for fans of the Falcons: the last time Ryan played in an outside zone scheme, he won an MVP award in it under now San Francisco 49ers’ head coach Kyle Shanahan. More good news for Ryan, his contract makes it extremely difficult for the Falcons to move him this offseason without strapping themselves to a world of dead money.
This does not mean, however, they would not consider drafting his replacement and easing that young gunslinger in. Unfortunately, the Falcons have not made a massive splash on the personnel side of things this offseason, and holes remain void. There are many avenues in which the Falcons could choose as they sit with the fourth pick in the draft.
Here we will take a look at their needs and give you their 2021 NFL Draft primer as we are now under a week away.