Nearly everybody in and across the NFL believes that quarterbacks will probably be chosen with every of the primary three picks of the 2021 NFL Draft. 

It is all however written in stone that the Jacksonville Jaguars will choose former Clemson star Trevor Lawrence at No. 1 total. It is tough to search out anyone who’s predicting that the New York Jets will take anybody aside from BYU quarterback Zach Wilson with the No. 2 choose. And relying on which report you occur to be studying at any given second, the San Francisco 49ers are locked in on both Alabama’s Mac Jones or Ohio State’s Justin Fields. 

Which suggests, for all intents and functions, the draft begins on the No. 4 total choose, which belongs to the Atlanta Falcons. Not many individuals appear to have a deal with on what new basic supervisor Terry Fontenot goes to do with the choose. The Falcons can go in plenty of completely different instructions based mostly on how Fontenot and new coach Arthur Smith really feel in regards to the high quality of the roster. 

One choice that has gone considerably ignored is the Falcons additionally taking a quarterback at that spot. As a result of the Falcons restructured Matt Ryan’s contract earlier this offseason and it might be damaging to launch or commerce him anytime within the subsequent two years, it has appeared just like the Falcons would like to both commerce down (with one other group coming as much as take their most well-liked quarterback) or stand pat take a non-QB (akin to Oregon deal with Penei Sewell or Florida tight finish Kyle Pitts) at No. 4. However Ryan is ready to show 36 years outdated subsequent month, and the Falcons could not get one other likelihood to discover a successor this excessive up within the draft. 

Which is what makes it intriguing that they have been sending multi-scout and coach contingents to professional days in latest weeks, which they may once more do on Monday, when North Dakota State’s Trey Lance holds his second professional day, per a report from NFL Community’s Tom Pelissero. 

Lance began simply 13 video games in faculty and his group performed just one sport in 2020, so he’s usually thought-about extra probably than the opposite prime prospects to wish a 12 months or two of seasoning earlier than getting into the beginning lineup. That makes Atlanta an intriguing touchdown spot, given Ryan’s age and contract state of affairs, together with Lance’s ability set and potential slot in Smith’s offense. After all, it is simply as probably that Atlanta may very well be sending scouts to professional days in an effort to entice another group to up its provide to maneuver to the No. 4 slot for his or her quarterback of alternative. 

That is the factor about draft season: we by no means actually know what any given growth means — or if it means something in any respect.