Falcons Future In NFC: 'Lot of Work' Left for Playoff Contention?

The Atlanta Falcons future will be predicated on how the quarterback situation unfolds, starting with second-year signal caller Desmond Ridder.

As the Philadelphia Eagles reign as NFC Conference champions, other contenders hope to build rosters that can usurp the title and compete for Super Bowl LVIII.

Ahead of the 2023 NFL Draft, roster hierarchy has been ranked by NFL.com and the Atlanta Falcons future is uncertain in the conference, in the "A Lot Of Work Left To Do" tier. Atlanta is lumped with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Arizona Cardinals. Why?

"It's going to be very difficult to make hard-and-fast judgments on these teams, given the uncertainty at quarterback for all three," NFL.com writes. "Desmond Ridder certainly could be a solid-to-good option in Atlanta. Perhaps a Tampa reboot is exactly what Baker Mayfield needs. And with Kyler Murray, it's surely too early to bail on him now, right?"

And more: "Ridder has a good O-line and offensive-minded coaches, and he appeared to grow with each start late last season. But there are limited weapons at his disposal, and the Falcons' biggest additions this offseason have come on defense. Is Jessie Bates III going to change this team's vector? Unlikely. Of course, in that division, someone has to win."

The three teams ranked in the top tier of the NFC Conference are the Eagles, Dallas Cowboys and San Francisco 49ers. Currently, San Francisco is the favorite to win the NFC and Philadelphia - led by the newly-wealthy Jalen Hurts - is the favorite to win the NFC East.

The Falcons will continue to add to the roster in the upcoming NFL Draft. The Falcons have eight selections, including the 8th pick overall, and almost countless options. Of Atlanta's needs, cornerback, pass rush and offensive line stand out as priorities.

Whichever direction the Falcons go with their draft picks, they hope it's a positive step toward building a talented roster to get back to the postseason. The Falcons suffered through their fifth straight losing season and general manager Terry Fontenot will look to change the future trajectory of the Falcons in this year's draft, while banking on Ridder's development. 

The draft will take place at Union Station in Kansas City, Mo., with the first round beginning on Apr. 27.

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