There is little doubt among NFL staff members and coaches what position will be put together with the top four picks: Quarterback.
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So is it a matter of which quarter the Hawks pick at number 4, or with which team they trade and do not want to pick the successor to Matt Ryan so they can handle more urgent issues?
No one knows except Atlanta’s shot callers, but honestly, the concept doesn’t even begin until Atlanta makes its decision.
Equally important, the Hawks’ decision could depend on the Niners, who traded from Pick 12 to No. 3 for Mac Jones, Trey Lance or Justin Fields. Jones has been the public’s favorite for weeks.
If the Niners desire the Hawks player, Atlanta (it takes two teams to tango) can trade back, or choose Oregon tackle Penei Sewell or Florida tight end Kyle Pitts. This is definitely the best player available. If San Francisco sets someone other than the specific target of the Hawks, it’s easy to choose.
As a quick side note, miss me with the “Best Player Available” business. If you choose as high as the Hawks choose, it’s because things need fix and the team needs alter. So you guessed it …need.
I’m not talking here either. This is what people have been saying to me for years. The best player available is a luxury or it happens when the players you need are off the board.
So, up to that point: do the hawks need a quarterback? Not now.
But if you have a concept that this QB talent is so great, and know that you can move on to this season or the next season of Matt Ryan, a team will needs that rookie QB contract to give him years of fiscal security in that position while later in this draft, in future drafts and free agency, fills other holes.
Of course, you can say this about the rookie contract of any position player. Should the Falcons bypass a QB in the draft, will they have the opportunity next season to set up one as talented as these prospects?
That’s why I believe the Falcons will choose Fields. To be clear, I have NO knowledge in this and only connect a few points. With Arthur Smith and Terry Fontenot playing things near the vest, it’s hard to say. However, some people I spoke to feel that Atlanta quarterback is going, some project Fields while some think it’s Lance.
The reason Atlanta can go with quarterback is why so many teams that perform high do: because if they pass one and that player continues to be good (see Patrick Mahomes), they move one step closer to a former to be general manager and former head coach.
It is true that taking a quarter has no immediate need. Fontenot and Smith must therefore choose other concepts to build. In a conversation I had with Fontenot on the podcast ‘The Huddle and Flow’ with my NFL Network partner Jim Trotter, he said you should build for the future while now trying to compete.
The reason I do not think Atlanta is swapping is because they will have to swap back where many players who can help right away may not be available.
I’ve talked to people who do not believe that Denver would move up to number 9 to take a QB. They need a veteran QB to compete with Drew Lock and not add another young QB.
Maybe New England trades from no. 15, but are there players at 15 who can make a difference for Atlanta? Can be. On top of that, the Falcons will pick up a lot more to add talent. Would the player be as much a possible franchise changer as a quarterback?
As we have seen, team owner Arthur Blank gives his football leaders time to put things right. Fontenot and Smith have time. On top of that, they would not set up a QB without Blank’s final blessing. If he quits, the choice will be on him as well.
White would also not have hired Smith if he did not think Smith’s coaching prowess is creative enough to lead Atlanta to more wins than last season’s mess, regardless of talent. On top of that, when you think about how the Falcons lost last season, it was not a lack of good staff.
A lot of mental disorder can be cited for some of these losses, and if the area can be corrected, the outcome of some of the Hawks’ games could be the same.
The Falcons’ talent box is not naked. It undoubtedly needs help. The help may not come immediately with the No. 4 pick, but the pick could develop into a persistent Pro Bowl quarterback that the Hawks will not have to pick again soon.
Steve Wyche is a senior correspondent for the NFL Network and NFL Media.