3 QBs Falcons should pivot to after losing out on Baker Mayfield

1. Falcons trade up in first-round to land Drake Maye

The Atlanta Falcons hold the No. 8 overall pick for the third consecutive season. This puts them out of position to stay put and select one of the top quarterback prospects in the 2024 NFL Draft.

USC's Caleb Williams is likely to be selected first overall by the Chicago Bears. The Washington Commanders hold the No. 2 pick and are undoubtedly going to take a quarterback. The New England Patriots hold the third-overall selection and are a bit of a wild card regarding whether they stay put or trade down to accumulate more draft assets. But as we all know, there is a lot of smokescreen thrown around by teams, trying to get everyone off their scent to ensure the prospect they want falls to them.

There has been recent buzz after the NFL Scouting Combine that Michigan's J.J. McCarthy has performed his way into potentially being the third signal caller selected...over North Carolina's Drake Maye.

It's not new that one prospect who was deemed a favorite to be a top pick sees their stock tumble throughout the pre-draft process. Look no further than Justin Herbert back in 2020, where he fell down to the sixth-overall pick and was selected by the Los Angeles Chargers. Now, he is one of the top quarterbacks in the NFL. It appears that Maye is now in that boat to potentially be taken later than expected heading into the college football season.

If Maye were to fall, the Falcons and general manager Terry Fontenot should be aggressive in finding their long-term option at quarterback. That should happen regardless if they add Kirk Cousins or Justin Fields. The team can't afford to pass on a young, highly-regarded quarterback in the NFL Draft. Bringing in Drake Maye could do wonders for the Falcons, and could help them finally win their coveted Super Bowl.