ESPN NEWS UPDATE: Falcons has Officially landed a top QB with a blockbuster deal set to be announced in a moment

The Falcons were anticipated to add a new quarterback this summer, with many believing it would happen in the draft after the position held the team behind the whole season.

But it seems unlikely that a rookie quarterback will be the head coach if Bill Belichick is appointed. Belichick is far more likely to choose the experienced path rather than developing a younger signal caller, as Matt Ryan recently pointed out.

In that scenario, the Falcons will have the chance to select an impact player elsewhere with the 8th overall pick instead of selecting a quarterback.

Since quarterbacks are often selected by the Bears, Commanders, and Patriots, selecting one in the eighth round could prove to be a disastrous choice. Thus, one of J.J. McCarthy, Bo Nix, or Michael Penix Jr.—none of whom should have been selected in the top ten—would have been overdrafted by the Falcons.

Who might be free now? This is the best receiving class we’ve seen thus far, and the Falcons might decide to combine Drake London with either Rome Odunze or Malik Nabers to offer the future QB the best skill group in the league.

Alternatively, Mel Kiper of ESPN has the Falcons selecting a defender in the first round of his most recent mock draft. Dallas Turner, an Alabama native, gives Atlanta additional pass rush strength and is the best defender available.

Another top-10 team that hasn’t appointed a new coach yet is this one. The benefit of this forecast is that I won’t force a quarterback to go to Atlanta because I don’t have another one with a top-10 grade. I wonder if there is a team interested in trading for Justin Fields, or if they will instead target Kirk Cousins or cut candidate Russell Wilson on the free agent market. (I reserve the right to forecast that Michigan signal-caller J.J. McCarthy will join his former coach if the Falcons sign Jim Harbaugh.)

Let’s turn to the opposing side of the ball, where the Falcons were ranked 29th in takeaways (16) and 32nd in pass rush victory rate (30.9%). With 6.5 sacks apiece, franchise veterans Bud Dupree and Calais Campbell led the way. This front seven is in need of a youthful infusion. Turner, a 242-pound outside linebacker with 22.5 sacks in three college seasons, is the greatest edge defender in this class. In 2023, he finished eighth in the FBS with a pressure rate of 16.7%.

The quarterback position was the Falcons’ main offensive weakness the previous season. It ought to rank among the top NFC units if they manage to address it. It could be wise to keep developing the defence given the abundance of weapons and capable offensive lines available.