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Falcons trade for No. 1 overall pick in Draft Wire’s new mock

matt urben
·1 min read
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After trading veteran Matt Ryan away, there’s a very strong possibility that the Falcons will select a quarterback in the 2022 NFL draft. But will it be with pick No. 8 overall, or one of the four other picks Atlanta has in the top 85?

The team signed free agent Marcus Mariota to a two-year deal, but the Falcons are only paying him $18.75 million total, which is backup/bridge quarterback money.

Luke Easterling of Draft Wire shakes things up in his new mock draft. Atlanta doesn’t just take a QB, the team trades up to No. 1 overall to acquire Liberty’s Malik Willis.

Pick No. 1: QB Malik Willis - Liberty

(AP Photo/Kendall Warner)

“The Falcons mismanaged their quarterback situation so badly this offseason, they really don’t even deserve to land a dynamic prospect like Willis at this point,” writes Easterling. “That said, they’re the perfect candidate to move up for him. Carolina picks higher in the first round, but the Falcons have multiple picks in both the second and third rounds, which gives them more ammo to beat any offer from their NFC South rivals.

The Jaguars would probably be thrilled to move out of this pick in a year without a clear-cut top prospect, allowing them to load up extra picks to accelerate their rebuild. The Falcons added a veteran in Marcus Mariota who can be the bridge starter until Willis is ready to take over.”

Willis talks with Steve Wyche after pro day

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Willis Pro Day highlights

8 things to know about Falcons QB Marcus Mariota

Story originally appeared on Falcons Wire