The Falcons may not be playing for draft position yet, but the quarterback question is already looming large over next spring. With the season still in front of them, Atlanta is being projected to hunt for a new long-term answer under center, and Bleacher Report’s latest mock draft has that answer coming in the form of Notre Dame quarterback CJ Carr.
Brent Sobieski slotted the Falcons at No. 8 overall and tied the pick directly to the uncertainty in Atlanta. “Concern continues to grow in Atlanta as the Falcons try to find out whether Tua Tagovailoa or Michael Penix Jr. can be their long-term answer at quarterback,” Sobieski writes.
“Clearly, neither proved themselves in this scenario. The position’s top tier of prospects has already been chosen, but Notre Dame’s CJ Carr has a skill set that should serve him well as part of Kevin Stefanski’s offensive scheme.”
That’s a pretty clear sign of where the conversation is headed. Tagovailoa doesn’t look like the solution, and Penix’s injury history has already become a major concern. Add in the fact that this new regime wasn’t responsible for drafting Penix in the first place, and he’ll need to show plenty before the team feels comfortable committing to him beyond this year.
Carr is the kind of quarterback who fits the first-round buzz. He isn’t the explosive runner that tends to dominate the top of the draft now, but his game is built on timing, processing, and precision.
He works the pocket like a surgeon, spots defensive soft spots, and gets the ball out on time. On top of that, he has the kind of arm strength that lets him challenge tight coverage and attack downfield.
The early returns this season haven’t changed that profile. Carr was the pick to win the Heisman entering the year, and while his Week 1 outing against Wisconsin wasn’t eye-popping, he still threw for 239 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions.
If he chooses to leave Notre Dame, Carr looks like a first-round quarterback. And with so much movement still possible at the top of the board, the race for the No. 1 pick could get crowded fast. There could be at least five quarterbacks in the mix depending on how the season unfolds.
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Beckers profile makes the fit easy to picture, with his physical traits and recent production giving him the kind of upside that can spark draft buzz this far out. But the bigger question for Atlanta is whether receiver is really the path it wants to take when the draft gets there, or whether the development of other players pushes the Falcons toward a different priority, including quarterback, depending on how the next couple of seasons unfold. [Read more 🡒]