Falcons 2021 NFL Draft primer: Will they draft heir to Matt Ryan?
By Cory Kinnan
Top draft needs for Falcons
With plenty of holes left to fill on their roster, and installing new systems offensively and defensively, here are the top positions for the Falcons to consider in the 2021 NFL Draft.
Quarterback
Is quarterback a need for the Falcons in 2021? No, probably not as Ryan still has good football left in the tank. However, it would be incredibly short-sighted to ignore the long-term need at the position, especially with how weak next year’s group of gunslingers is. Similar to Alex Smith and Patrick Mahomes, the Falcons could attack a similar arrangement.
Cornerback
The Falcons just drafted a first round cornerback a year ago in A.J. Terrell, but due to the ever-growing need for cornerbacks in the league, it is not out of the question as well in the 2021 NFL Draft. This would be an obvious trade-down situation as fourth overall is steep for one in this draft class, unless they really like one of Alabama’s Patrick Surtain II or South Carolina’s Jaycee Horn.
EDGE
Name a better duo than the Falcons and failing to find a stable edge rusher. From Vic Beasley, to now Dante Fowler Jr., finding a pass rusher has not been an easy task for the Falcons to accomplish. Again, this would be a position to address should they make a deal with a quarterback-needy team in a trade down scenario.