The Atlanta Falcons rebuilt their football leadership structure around Matt Ryan, Ian Cunningham and Kevin Stefanski this offseason. Todd McShay already believes that group could make its biggest decision together next April.
In his latest 2027 NFL projection, The Ringer’s Todd McShay has Atlanta using the No. 9 overall pick on South Carolina quarterback LaNorris Sellers.
The reasoning goes beyond simply identifying quarterback as a need. McShay believes the Falcons’ new decision-makers will eventually want one of their own.
That would be a major move for a team that still has Michael Penix Jr. under contract and added Tua Tagovailoa this offseason. But Atlanta’s quarterback situation has already become messy again only one week into the season.
Tagovailoa missed Week 1 with an oblique injury, Penix is still working back from last year’s ACL tear and Cooper Rush started the opener against Pittsburgh.
Todd McShay sees LaNorris Sellers as Falcons’ QB answer
McShay didn’t dance around why Sellers makes sense for Atlanta.
“Matt Ryan, Ian Cunningham, and Kevin Stefanski want their guy at QB. No quarterback in this class has a more imposing combination of arm strength, size, and mobility.
“Sellers can rip throws to every part of the field and punish defenses as a runner, giving an NFL offense tremendous schematic flexibility. He must develop better touch and consistent underneath accuracy, but his physical ceiling is as high as any player in the draft.”
Atlanta completely reworked its football operation in January. Ryan was named president of football, Stefanski was hired as head coach and Cunningham became general manager.
Both Stefanski and Cunningham report to Ryan.
That makes McShay’s wording notable. Penix was drafted by the previous regime with the No. 8 overall pick in 2024. Ryan, Cunningham and Stefanski inherited him.
If McShay is right, they may eventually want to make their own investment at the most important position on the roster.
LaNorris Sellers gets huge Josh Allen comparison
McShay’s scouting report on Sellers makes clear just how high he believes the South Carolina quarterback’s ceiling can go.
“Sellers is the most physically gifted quarterback in the class and a more polished passer than he gets credit for,” McShay wrote. “A shorter Josh Allen is the best present-day comparison, with some throwback shades of Daunte Culpepper.”
Sellers is listed by McShay at an estimated 6-foot-3 1/2 and 245 pounds. He has the size to punish defenses as a runner, but McShay’s evaluation centers just as much on his arm talent and ability to create explosive plays.
There are still questions, however.
Sellers threw 13 touchdowns with eight interceptions last season while completing 60.8% of his passes. His 2025 season was also disrupted by an ankle injury, and McShay noted he is playing for his third offensive coordinator in four seasons.
His 2026 start has been uneven thus far.
Sellers has thrown for 366 yards, three touchdowns and one interception through two games. He opened with 270 yards and three touchdowns against Kentucky before completing just 10 of 23 passes for 96 yards and an interception against Towson.
The physical tools remain the attraction, though.
McShay currently grades Sellers as a top-10 prospect and isn’t ruling out a rise all the way to the No. 1 overall pick.
For Atlanta, the bigger question is whether Penix can do enough once healthy to keep quarterback off Ryan, Cunningham and Stefanski’s shopping list.
McShay’s early projection suggests the Falcons could still be searching for their guy.
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