Falcons 'Thought Twice' About Drafting QBs Bryce Young, C.J. Stroud

Bryce Young and C.J. Stroud may have been on the Atlanta Falcons' radar during the NFL Draft.

Jeremy Brener | May 10, 2023

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Atlanta Falcons

Bryce Young and C.J. Stroud will always be known as the top two picks of the 2023 NFL Draft. But if either had fallen, would the Atlanta Falcons have made a move?

ESPN believes there might have been a chance.

"As for quarterback, I've talked to a few people who believe Bryce Young and C.J. Stroud might have been the only passers Atlanta would have thought twice about had they dropped to No. 8," ESPN writes. "But overall, the Falcons were pretty set on building around Desmond Ridder."

Young was looking like the No. 1 pick a few weeks before the draft, but the jury was still out on Stroud right up until the Houston Texans were on the clock to take him at No. 2. There were reports coming out of Houston that the team preferred defensive end Will Anderson and that teams would have traded up to No. 3 to take him.

However, Stroud went off the board at No. 2, prompting the Texans to trade back up at No. 3 to take Anderson. But had the picks been flipped, could Atlanta have pulled the trigger to move up five spots and take Stroud? Maybe so.

However, the Falcons are going into the 2023 season happy with No. 8 pick Bijan Robinson and quarterback Desmond Ridder.

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Published May 10, 2023

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.