At this point, it would be shocking if Trevor Lawrence and Zach Wilson are not the No. 1 and No. 2 picks in the upcoming 2021 NFL Draft.
Then, it’s pretty much a foregone conclusion that the San Francisco 49ers will select either Mac Jones, Justin Fields, or Trey Lance when the are on the clock with the No. 3 overall pick.
But according to NFL Insider Peter King, the “pivot point” in the draft will come when the Atlanta Falcons are on the clock with the No. 4 pick.
From Peter King:
4. ATLANTA. Pivot point of the draft. Falcons are doing a great job of disguising their intentions and, per Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, will have three reps at the Lance workout today.
What I’m hearing: Owner Arthur Blank is fascinated by the quarterbacks atop the draft, thinking the franchise might not be in such an advantageous position to take one for years. But Blank will not force a decision—of that I am sure. He hired GM Terry Fontenot and coach Arthur Smith and won’t big-foot them on their first big call. Smith likes the quarterbacks too, but also like Matt Ryan, who will play at 36 this fall and likely has four or five solid years left. Fontenot may—and I emphasized may, because I’ve heard varying things here—prefer to trade out of the pick for a ransom, if one is there. But Smith and Fontenot are also value shoppers too. The value here is to take the best non-quarterback in the draft, tight end Kyle Pitts.
What the Falcons do with the No. 4 overall pick will drastically shape what happens in the picks following.
What do you think the Falcons will do?