More than likely, the Falcons will begin the 2022 season with Matt Ryan under contract because of his bloated contract and massive dead cap figures. A possible reduction would be welcomed, but I doubt that happens. Terry Fontenot will have another difficult decision to make this offseason as far as bringing in another quarterback, whether that be through free agency or the draft. If a prospect presents himself when the Falcons are on the clock, you should absolutely expect the longtime Saints executive to pull the trigger. For this staff, it will be the highest graded player on the board taken with Atlanta’s first-round pick.
As it stands right now, the Falcons are slotted to pick eighth overall, which would put them in a position to grab a number of difference-makers on the defensive side of the ball — Derek Stingley, Sauce Gardner, Andrew Booth, Kaiir Elam, George Karlaftis, Kyle Hamilton, etc. There are offensive line prospects that could also be in play, but there will always be quarterbacks in play for a team with an aging one, even if they aren’t deserving of being selected that high.
In their most recent mock draft, CBS kickstarts the Falcons’ eventual future by tying them to Kenny Picket from Pittsburgh. Here’s what Josh Edwards had to say about the decision.
Realistically speaking, Atlanta is not going to get out of Matt Ryan’s contract this offseason but they can bring in his successor to learn. The Falcons had an opportunity to add a franchise quarterback last year but punted the chance. If they do not get someone in the door soon, they are going to waste the rookie contract window of the tight end they were so eager to draft a year ago.
Regardless of which quarterback the Falcons bring in — if they draft one at all — he’ll sit behind Ryan for at least one year, with two being a possibility. Ryan’s contract isn’t a forgiving one, so he’ll be in Atlanta for a couple more seasons unless Fontenot does something drastic. Selecting Picket this high speaks to how Edwards views him, but I don’t know if I share similar sentiments.
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