The popular phrase nowadays when talking about the 2021 NFL Draft is that "it starts at No. 4." That's thanks to the Jaguars, Jets, and 49ers likely all going quarterback with their top three selections, leaving the Atlanta Falcons as the relative unknown with the fourth pick. They could essentially go in any direction -- taking the top non-quarterback, trading back, selecting a QB -- and there's a case to be made that each move would be the correct call. The most fascinating, however, is naturally if the team decides to pluck one of the young quarterbacks in this draft to be the clear heir apparent to Matt Ryan.
Despite being solidified at the quarterback position for the next couple of seasons with Ryan at the helm, GM Terry Fontenot did highlight the importance of getting a look at all of these young quarterbacks -- even those who will likely be off the board by the time they are on the clock -- to better position the organization for the present and future.
"That's critical because that's a position that regardless of where you are at your starter -- we're so excited about Matt Ryan, but we have to evaluate every one of these quarterbacks," Fontenot told the official team website. "Not just for now, when you think big picture, if you have an opportunity -- for example, Trevor Lawrence, when you have an opportunity to see that player in person throw, then you have to take advantage of that. Even if you're not going to have the opportunity at him this year, you don't know what's going to happen three, four, five years from now in the future. So you want to take advantage of that in-person exposure.
"That's why we see every single one of these quarterbacks. We want to, as much as we can, get to them, see them in person, and just take advantage of those exposures because it's the most critical position in the NFL and we want to stack good quarterbacks. It's a prime time to do it when you have a player like Matt Ryan, because when you can get the right quarterback, you don't have that pressure to play him right away. So it opens up so many possibilities, and we have to make sure we're evaluating those positions. And we feel good about where we are there."
So Atlanta is essentially leaving no stone unturned as it goes forward in its evaluation process with the No. 4 overall pick, which is the correct approach to have. With his comments above in mind, if Fontenot truly wants to have a situation where the club can "stack good quarterbacks" together to create a smoother transition down the line, sitting at No. 4 gives the team the opportunity to do so. Ohio State's Justin Fields and Trey Lance out of North Dakota State are both projected to be on the board by the time Atlanta is on the clock and each could develop behind Ryan over the next few seasons before taking the leap to QB1. That type of scenario would certainly give the Falcons one of the better quarterback situations in the NFL, so it's worth the conversation if you're Fontenot and the rest of the Atlanta brass.
However, there's an argument to also be made to continue to build around Ryan, who has continued to play at a high level despite the team's 4-12 record in 2020. The former league MVP completed 65% of his passes last year for 4,581 yards, 26 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions, clearly showing that he has fuel left in the tank. Does bringing in the top non-QB prospect at No. 4 to help the team contend during the Ryan era outweigh the club setting themselves up at the position for the years to come? That's a decision that looms heavily over the Falcons currently and why Fontenot and company are intent on getting a close look at the quarterback prospects prior to April's draft.
