It’s been a little over a month since the Atlanta Falcons traded away Matt Ryan to the Indianapolis Colts after 14 seasons as the face of the franchise. Ryan is out and former No. 2 pick Marcus Mariota is in line to start for the Falcons in 2022.
Mariota signed a two-year deal in March, but the long-term future of the quarterback position is something that must be addressed sooner or later. The 2022 NFL draft is less than a week away (April 28-30), and fans have been debating whether or not Liberty QB Malik Willis is worthy of Atlanta’s first-round pick.
Here are five reasons why the Falcons should pull the trigger on Willis if he’s on the board at pick No. 8.
The potential of landing a franchise QB is worth the risk
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Drafting the best player available is a simple concept, but the quarterback position makes this philosophy a little bit more subjective. For example, three quarterbacks came off the board with the first three picks of last year’s draft, but they weren’t considered the top three overall prospects. And even Trevor Lawrence, who was considered the No. 1 overall player, wasn’t anywhere close to being the top rookie last season.
Bengals WR Ja’Marr Chase had a way better year and is arguably one of the top five players at his position, while Lawrence would barely crack the top 25 quarterbacks in the league after his underwhelming first season.
Does this mean the Jaguars regret taking Lawrence? Not at all because having a top-five QB is worth its weight in gold in the NFL. Quarterback is a position that requires patience, which means accepting you are likely passing on more pro-ready prospects by drafting one. It’s a risk you simply have to take.
Highest upside of any QB in draft
(AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
When it comes to the QB position, it makes more sense to go for the prospect with the higher ceiling as opposed to the higher floor. When…
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