[ad_1]
INDIANAPOLIS — Let’s start with a hypothesis.
Let’s say it’s April 25th, the first day of the 2024 NFL Draft. And let’s say the Falcons answer the quarterback question. How did they do that? Well, in this scenario it’s either via free agency or a trade.
This is a hypothesis, so who you got is not as important as how you got him. All we need to know is that the Falcons are acquiring a QB1 before the draft even begins. So where will they set their sights in the first round? Two positions of need come to mind: edge rusher and wide receiver.
Many draft analysts have sent Alabama’s Dallas Turner to the Falcons at No. 8 on multiple occasions. Turner and the quarterback have been linked to the Falcons throughout February. But who’s to say the Falcons won’t use a top-10 pick at receiver? Especially if they don’t need a quarterback or if a player like Turner is already off the board.
Throughout the past three draft cycles, the Falcons have followed a certain formula and drafted offensive weapons in the first round, even if they didn’t necessarily need that weapon at the time. There’s an argument to be made that the Falcons drafted Kyle Pitts, Drake Rondon and Bejan Robinson even though they had a bigger position they needed to fill elsewhere. They chose a route that would allow them to acquire the best players available. If they do it again, they could end up drafting yet another offensive weapon with a top-10 pick for the fourth year in a row. The only difference this year?This pick would be in the bucket of the best players available if they draft one of the best receivers on the board and Bucket in the required position.
Because, yes. The Falcons need a receiver, and they probably have a few.
Rondon is the only true receiver on the 2023 team with a 2024 contract with the Falcons. This is a position group that needs reinforcements and an immediate game changer. The best way to fill that need without adding to the bank loan right away is to acquire young, flashy weapons on rookie contracts, like they did with Pitts, Rondon, and Robinson.
Make the hypothetical of drafting a receiver in the first round (again, assuming you’ve answered the quarterback question by that point).
This 2024 wide receiver class is quite deep and features top draft talent. Ohio State product Marvin Harrison Jr. is at the top of the group in most class breakdowns. If he drops to No. 8, he could become attractive to a wide receiver-hungry team like the Falcons. Harrison did not speak to the media Friday in Indianapolis.
More realistic candidates at No. 8 are LSU receivers Malik Nabors and Brian Thomas Jr., as well as Washington’s Roma Odunze, whose name has popped up along with the Falcons in several mock drafts recently. During Friday’s media appearances, Odunze compared his own style of play to that of Raiders receiver Davante Adams.
“I play his split-release technique a lot,” Odunze said. “I’m still learning and trying to figure out how he gets so nervous. We’re still getting there. His size, his route-running ability, his competitive catch (ability). When I think about it, I like to compare myself,” he said. “
When asked what he would like the team that ultimately drafts him to secure, Odunze said a veteran quarterback, adding that if the Falcons draft a receiver at No. 8 overall, they probably already have a quarterback. I’m sure you’ve secured your back.
“A good quarterback is always great,” Odunze said. “He’s a veteran and someone who has proven himself in the quarterback room. Quarterback is a difficult position to fill in the NFL, and he’s one of the biggest factors for me to get the ball and be successful. There is one.”
[ad_2]
Source link
