Falcons go after offensive weapon in first round after reportedly signing QB Kirk Cousins

At 4 p.m. ET this afternoon, teams will be allowed to officially announce the signings NFL insiders have been reporting for the last couple of days during the legal tampering window. For the Falcons, that means reportedly inking a starting quarterback.

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, the Falcons have reportedly signed former Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins to a four-year deal valued at $180 million with $100 million fully guaranteed. It’s a big-time move, arguably the biggest move of the offseason of any team thus far. The Falcons said they wanted to be aggressive in their hunt for QB1. This aggression showed up.

With the money (reportedly) doled out to Cousins, though, that gives the Falcons less cap space to maneuver in free agency. That doesn’t mean the Falcons will sign just Cousins and Cousins alone. They have to continue building out the roster. An important piece of that roster building involves the wide receiver position.

Drake London is the only true receiver from the 2023 squad the Falcons have carrying over to the roster in 2024. Players like Scotty Miller, KhaDarel Hodge and Mack Hollins are all expected to hit the open market Wednesday afternoon. So, yes, the Falcons need reinforcements out wide. They began that refueling process on Tuesday, reportedly signing former Chicago Bears wide receiver Darnell Mooney to a 3-year deal worth $39 million. So, the Falcons have London and Mooney, but what about a first-round pick?

In this second version of our full, first-round mock draft, the Falcons find a compliment to the receiver room at No. 8 overall, the exact spot they got London two years ago.