ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr.: Falcons Are a ‘Team to Watch’ for QB in 2022 NFL Draft

Todd Kirkland/Getty Images

The Atlanta Falcons have yet to map out a succession plan beyond Matt Ryan, but that might change with the 2022 NFL draft.

ESPN’s Mel Kiper called the Falcons a “team to watch” for one of the top quarterbacks in this year’s draft class. On Monday’s First Draft episode (25:27), Kiper also called the Falcons “the most interesting team” because of the QB intrigue:

“They didn’t take a quarterback last year; they went for Kyle Pitts, the receiving entity. Now they get another receiver in Drake London in [Todd McShay’s] mock, but you’re passing on the quarterback. And I can see why, you’d be reaching. But somebody always does. They always stretch it for these quarterbacks, reach for a guy that’s maybe 20 on the board. They take him in the top 10 to 12. … The heir apparent to Matt Ryan, if they fall in love with a [Kenny] Pickett, a [Malik] Willis or a [Matt] Corral in late April, they would certainly be a team to watch.”

The general attitude toward the 2022 QB class is lukewarm.

Coming out of the Senior Bowl, Cincinnati’s Desmond Ridder (No. 17) was the highest-rated QB on the big board for the B/R NFL Scouting Department. Pickett was the only other signal-caller in the top 50.

However, the value of the position and scarcity of options inevitably mean teams often select a quarterback a little earlier than expected, as Kiper laid out. B/R’s most recent mock draft had Pickett, Ridder and Willis all off the board in the first round, with Pickett at No. 9 to the Denver Broncos.

Last year, the Falcons passed on Justin Fields and Mac Jones when they made Pitts the fourth overall pick. The rookie tight end went on make the Pro Bowl.

While Atlanta seems to have a key piece of its passing game going forward, the absence of a young quarterback to eventually replace Ryan is still glaring. The benefit of reaching for Willis, Ridder or Corral is that they’d have a more gradual adjustment process.

Perhaps that mitigates some of the risk in taking a QB who is far from a sure thing at the next level.