Falcons 'Have to Figure Out' QB - Draft or Free Agency?

NFL Draft expert Daniel Jeremiah shared his thoughts on the state of the Atlanta Falcons' pursuit of a quarterback during the draft process and highlighted the strengths and weaknesses of each of his top-five signal callers.

The Atlanta Falcons have a question mark surrounding the quarterback position - but are staring at a plethora of options to go about turning it into an exclamation point.

After moving on from 14-year starting signal caller Matt Ryan last offseason, the Falcons turned to veteran bridge Marcus Mariota and 2022 third-round pick Desmond Ridder this past season.

Mariota started 13 games but was benched at the bye week and is expected to be released at the start of the new league year on March 15, while Ridder completed 62.5 percent of his passes and racked up 708 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions but hasn't been given a commitment by Atlanta's coaching staff.

Falcons coach Arthur Smith said the team had "a lot of work to do" before declaring Ridder the starter, while general manager Terry Fontenot revealed that he's "going to add" to the quarterbacks room, as only Ridder and backup Logan Woodside are currently expected to be on the roster next season.

Many have pointed towards acquiring an experienced starter like Baltimore Ravens star Lamar Jackson, but that's not the only way to add talent - just consider the 2023 NFL Draft, where the Falcons have the No. 8 overall pick.

On a conference call with reporters ahead of the scouting combine, NFL Network lead draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah was asked by Falcon Report at SI about the possibility Atlanta selects a signal caller - and he's not entirely confident in the idea.

"Yeah, no doubt they have to figure out the quarterback thing," Jeremiah said. "But I don't know if they're going to be able to do that sitting right where they are."

In essence, Jeremiah acknowledged the need to reach a conclusion on the direction at quarterback, be it to stick with Ridder or add somebody from the outside.

But there's a considerable obstacle to overcome.

Jeremiah, who doesn't like to do trades in his pre-combine, pre-free agency mock drafts "because it just gets all messy," seems to believe the Falcons aren't well-positioned to land one of the draft's top signal callers at their current position.

"I don't know that there's going to be a quarterback there," Jeremiah said. "I think when it's all said and done, and we'll know more coming out of the combine and as we get through the quarterback carousel of free agency, but I think there's a chance that all those quarterbacks go."

The quarterbacks Jeremiah is referring to are Alabama's Bryce Young, Ohio State's C.J. Stroud, Kentucky's Will Levis and Florida's Anthony Richardson.

In Jeremiah's eyes, Young is the top candidate, followed by "a gap" to the next three, where Stroud, Levis and Richardson follow.

Jeremiah is also a fan of Tennessee's Hendon Hooker, but he's coming off a torn ACL in late November and will be a 25-year-old rookie, likely making him a second-round pick.

Young, the 2021 Heisman Trophy winner, was praised for his feel, instincts and ability to maneuver the pocket; he's expected to weigh in close to 200 pounds, a big development that should only help ease durability concerns for teams.

Moving down the list, Jeremiah dubbed Stroud the "purest thrower" in the class, touting his accuracy and decision making but noting that he doesn't have the consistent off-schedule playmaking that Young does.

Levis is one of the more controversial quarterbacks in the class, as he had a difficult senior season at Kentucky marred by injuries and turnovers.

However, Jeremiah cited the arm strength, athleticism and "ability to handle a lot of information" as significant positives to Levis' evaluation and said the team that drafts him will be hoping he follows a similar career path of Buffalo Bills Pro Bowl quarterback Josh Allen, who faced many of the same questions coming out of Wyoming.

As for Richardson, Jeremiah said he'll likely need to sit behind a veteran for a season, making him an odd fit in Atlanta, but he has an "elite, elite arm," is a "rare athlete," and doesn't have a ceiling.

Perhaps most importantly, Jeremiah revealed that multiple teams around the league have Richardson as the No. 2 quarterback in the class, presumably trailing just Young.

Rounding out the top-five is Hooker, who's arm isn't great but is "good enough" and has impressed with his intangibles and intelligence, to the extent that Jeremiah said he "has a chance to be a real value pick for someone," - though it's unlikely that team is the Falcons.

The biggest question that needs to be answered is whether Atlanta would even be interested in getting a rookie quarterback, especially in the first round.

While Fontenot said having a signal caller on a rookie contract is "super valuable," he also acknowledged feeling encouraged by Ridder, and drafting another rookie just one year later would essentially lead to the team punting on a third-round pick even with a solid four-game stretch.

On the other hand, Ridder was just a third-round pick, and if the Falcons feel there's a chance to upgrade, they shouldn't hesitate - even if it means relegating the former Cincinnati Bearcat to a backup role.

But ultimately, there are several viable options at the top of the draft should Atlanta choose to consider them, even if the cost to gain better positioning is steep.

Simply put, it's all a part of the process that the Falcons still "have to figure out" in the coming months.

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You can follow Daniel Flick on Twitter @DFlickDraft

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