The Atlanta Falcons find themselves in a hard spot at the quarterback position when looking towards the future. Desmond Ridder opened the season as the starter and many thought he’d be the long-term franchise quarterback for the Falcons. However, he has done anything but instill confidence in the franchise to believe that he can end up being their long-term option under center.
Some believe that the Falcons should pursue a veteran quarterback in NFL free agency during the offseason. Kirk Cousins is a name that has come up quite a few times.
Others believe that the Falcons should look to the 2024 NFL Draft to find their franchise quarterback. There are a lot of talented college quarterbacks that will be available. One in particular has been recently linked as a potential fit for Atlanta if they opt to draft a quarterback.
Falcons Connected To Intriguing 2024 NFL Draft Quarterback Prospect
Pro Football Focus recently took a look at one player the Falcons should consider drafting in the 2024 NFL Draft. The player that they came up with was Michigan standout quarterback JJ McCarthy.
“McCarthy’s tools are impressive, and while he could very well play his way out of Atlanta’s range through the Big Ten Championship and College Football Playoff, he could also slide down draft boards due to a lack of volume when he’s not asked to do much in expected passing situations. McCarthy has earned grades of 92.0 or better when throwing to the intermediate and deep parts of the field. His evaluation is complicated by how much — or, rather, how little — has been put on his plate. Nevertheless, Arthur Smith could use McCarthy’s athleticism as an asset in the run game as he develops in the passing game.”
McCarthy has led the Wolverines to the College Football Playoff and the No. 1 overall ranking. He has put up massive numbers and has considerably improved his NFL Draft stock.
He has completed 74.2 percent of his pass attempts this season for 2,630 yards, 19 touchdowns, and just four interceptions. In addition to his numbers through the air, McCarthy has racked up 146 yards and three more scores on the ground.
Granted, there are quite a few quarterbacks who are being ranked ahead of McCarthy in the 2024 NFL Draft. He has talent, but no one is fully onboard with his skill-set translating to the NFL. Only time will tell, but a team like the Falcons could consider taking a look at him.
First and foremost, the Falcons will have to decide if it’s already time to move on from Ridder. The second-year quarterback has completed 63.3 percent of his passes for 2,029 yards, eight touchdowns, and eight interceptions in 11 games. Those numbers simply won’t get the job done.
Expect to see the Falcons be very aggressive in doing their research on quarterbacks this offseason. Whether they sign one, draft one, or trade for one, something has to give. Ridder simply doesn’t seem to be the guy to depend on long-term.