To no surprise, the Atlanta Falcons‘ hopes for the playoffs were crushed on Sunday as they fell victim to the Saints for the second time this season.
While the season isn’t over yet, fans don’t have much to look forward to except one thing––the 2021 NFL Draft.
Per Tankathon, a website that continuously updates the order of the upcoming draft, the Atlanta Falcons moved into the top 10 with Sunday’s loss and are currently expected to pick 8th overall.
The Falcons Have Made the Top 10 Before
The Falcons aren’t new to the top 10. In fact, they have been there two times since Matt Ryan, taking Jake Matthews at 6th overall in 2014 and Vic Beasley 8th overall in 2015. However, they did trade up for Julio Jones in 2011 to snag him at 6th overall.
The Falcons have only cracked into the top 10 twice since drafting Matt Ryan, selecting Jake Matthews at 6th overall in 2014 and Vic Beasley at 8th overall in 2015, except for trading up to 6th overall for Julio Jones in 2011.
While a disappointing season is, well, disappointing, there are upsides to picking in the top 10 of the NFL draft. It’s a higher chance to add a future Pro Bowler to the roster at the position of your choice.
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Falcons Projected to Draft A QB
There is a long-running list of talented QBs set to enter the 2021 draft class and rumors are swirling that the Falcons will go after one.
While it would be a treat to have Trevor Lawrence come to Atlanta, that won’t be happening but there are still several other options to choose from.
Kyle Trask of the Florida Gators is another top QB that is expected to have much success in the NFL after topping Joe Burrow’s numbers in his final college year. Trask has 34 touchdown passes to date and has thrown for at least 3 scores in all eight of this season’s games. He also has 2,810 yards through the air and a QB rating of 93.4. On the ground, Trask has posted just 88 yards and zero touchdowns on 36 rushing attempts.
Bleacher Report has previously compared the 6-foot-5-inch, 240-pound Texas native to a “thicker Matt Ryan.”
Another one to look out for Atlanta possibly seeking is Ohio State’s Justin Fields or “the one that got away” from Georgia. Fields is a native of Georgia, currently, and has thrown for 1,407 yards, 15 touchdowns to 3 interceptions this season. Remind you, OSU’s season has been cut short.
It’s obviously frustrating to look forward to the draft this far in advance and try to figure out who Atlanta or other teams could be picking. Last offseason they were projected everywhere to jump to grab Chase Young, but that never happened. At least, they came up with the top rookie cornerback.
On the Falcons’ remaining slate are the Kansas City Chiefs, the Los Angeles Chargers, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers twice.
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Falcons Move Into Top 10 of 2021 NFL Draft