Falcons Predicted to Sign Russell Wilson, Draft Bo Nix

ESPN believes the Atlanta Falcons will address their quarterback needs with both a veteran signing and a rookie draft pick.

The Atlanta Falcons have an overall solid roster with talent on both sides of the ball, but their struggles at quarterback, the most-important position in football, held them back from their full potential.

Atlanta passed on better options to see what they had in second-year quarterback Desmond Ridder, but he struggled throughout the season and ultimately cost the team on several occasions. Additionally, backup quarterback Taylor Heinicke was similarly unimpressive when he filled in for Ridder.

The Falcons will almost certainly get a new quarterback this offseason to run the offense, but ESPN takes that a step further by predicting them to add not one signal-caller, but two.

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The first of said quarterbacks is one who has been connected with the Falcons quite a lot recently, that being Russell Wilson of the Denver Broncos. After his benching late in the season, it is all but certain that the Broncos will be moving on from Wilson this offseason. ESPN projects the Falcons to give him a new home, signing him to a three-year deal worth $36 million in free agency, with $20 million guaranteed in the front-leaded contract.

"The Falcons learned this season what below-average quarterback play can do to a franchise's playoff hopes," ESPN writes. "Owner Arthur Blank and CEO Rich McKay made it clear the plan is to win with this roster, and Wilson is the best option out there and has the most experience. The team around him would take pressure off Wilson, with playmakers Bijan Robinson, Tyler Allgeier, Drake London and Kyle Pitts all set for big roles in 2024. And the contract terms also allow for a fairly painless separation if it doesn't work out."

A nine-time Pro Bowl selection, Wilson has not had the best go of things in Denver. His first season was a complete disaster, and while he played significantly better this season, he often butted heads with new coach Sean Payton. That tumultuous relationship came to a head when Wilson was benched for financial reasons with two games left in the season, even when the Broncos were still in playoff contention.

Wilson may not be the player he once was with the Seattle Seahawks, but with a nice set of weapons around him like Atlanta has, he might be able to turn things around.

The second quarterback ESPN predicts the Falcons to add comes through the draft, that being Oregon's Bo Nix at No. 74 overall.

"This is pure value at this point in the draft for the Falcons, who could remake their quarterback room under their new coaching staff," ESPN writes. "With Wilson signed as the locked-in starter for anywhere from one to three seasons, Nix can be developed. Nix has shown improvement every year in his career, completing 77% of his passes this season with 45 touchdown throws and three interceptions. So he is worth taking a chance on at this point in the draft with the understanding he and Desmond Ridder could battle for the No. 2 spot."

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Nix, who finished third in Heisman Trophy voting this season, began his collegiate career at Auburn, but really took off once he transferred to Oregon in 2022. Over his two seasons with the Ducks, Nix completed 74.9 percent of his passes for 8,101 yards, 74 touchdowns and only 10 interceptions. He also provides a decent threat with his legs, having rushed for another 20 touchdowns over the past two years.

If the Falcons follow ESPN's prediction and all goes according to plan, then they could be set at the quarterback position for a while to come between Wilson and Nix.