The Atlanta Falcons stayed very quiet in 2021 NFL free agency, mostly because their tight finances dictated as much. That means there's extra pressure on the team to unearth talent through April's draft as it kicks off the Arthur Smith regime. Beyond pick No. 4, they'll have eight other selections to build their roster and fill needs on both sides of the ball. Which rookies could be on their radar? Which positions will they prioritize?
Here's one stab at how the Falcons' entire 2021 draft will play out:
| Round (Overall Pick) | Prospect | College |
|---|---|---|
1 (4) | TE Kyle Pitts | Florida |
2 (35) | DE Joseph Ossai | Texas |
3 (68) | QB Kyle Trask | Florida |
4 (108) | CB Israel Mukuamu | South Carolina |
5 (148) | LB Monty Rice | Georgia |
5 (182) | S Damar Hamlin | Pittsburgh |
5 (183) | WR T.J. Vasher | Texas Tech |
| 6 (187) | RB Brenden Knox | Marshall |
| 6 (219) | OL Carson Green | Texas A&M |
Everyone wants to know what the Falcons are going to do with their first pick, at No. 4, and honestly, it all depends on what goes down right ahead of them, in San Francisco. When the Dolphins still held the third pick, it was a bit easier to forecast who would be on the board for Atlanta, considering Miami was a long shot to take a top quarterback prospect. Now, the question is: Which QB are the Niners taking? If we assume Trevor Lawrence goes No. 1 and Zach Wilson goes No. 2, you're down to Justin Fields, Trey Lance and Mac Jones for the 49ers. The popular buzz now is that Jones is the favorite, but we tend to think San Francisco is bluffing and prefers more raw talent and upside. Which probably means Trey Lance, who would otherwise make all the sense in the world for the Falcons as an heir apparent for Matt Ryan.
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If we put Lance in San Francisco, that leaves Fields and Jones for Atlanta in terms of QBs. And while the former could still be worth the pick, we could easily see new coach Arthur Smith pivoting to his position of specialty and seizing one of the most heralded prospects of the draft in Pitts. The Falcons already have Hayden Hurst at tight end, but that should not even be a potential impediment if Pitts is available. He'd give Ryan an instant upgrade at TE, deepen an already explosive pass-catching group and give Atlanta a long-term building block for whichever QB takes over in 2022 or beyond.
Ossai, in the second, would give Atlanta a much-needed developmental rusher opposite Dante Fowler Jr. Trask, meanwhile, might be the most controversial pick of the bunch, seeing as he's considered something of an old-school prospect with limited mobility. If the Falcons are serious about injecting some long-term possibilities into the QB spot, though, you could do a lot worse. Who's to say Smith wouldn't be excited at the possibility of grooming Trask and his accurate arm for the future? As a bonus, Pitts is familiar with the ex-Gators QB from his own time in college.
The Falcons' final five picks here address depth holes on both sides of the ball. Rice, a local product, could be a plug-and-play piece alongside Deion Jones in the middle of the defense. Hamlin could offer back-end depth in the wake of Keanu Neal's departure in free agency. Vasher, who countered off-field issues with rare size and jump-ball ability in college, could be a potential Julio Jones understudy for the long haul. And both Knox and Green could provide reserve competition at spots that lost veterans.
