Falcons: Terry Fontenot addresses succession plan for Matt Ryan

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After taking Kyle Pitts last night, Terry Fontenot said there’s still a chance Atlanta could draft a quarterback. He also added that the Falcons could look to add to the position via trade.

There are a plethora of quarterbacks available the Falcons could sign or trade for, but the crop of mid-to-late round quarterbacks could be more intriguing. Jake explored each of the quarterback prospects earlier, though I have to say Davis Mills seems like an ideal player who can sit and learn behind Matty Ice. Below are a few prospects that Atlanta could target on days two and three of the NFL draft.

Jamie Newman, Wake Forest

Many questions still remain surrounding Jamie Newman, who was getting some first-round hype before he opted out of the 2020 season. He checks a lot of boxes: size, athleticism, and arm strength — but I need to see a little more out of him. I think he CAN develop into a starter in the NFL, but he raises a lot more questions than answers for me right now.

Kyle Trask, Florida

Ranking Trask, Newman, and Franks was pretty difficult — they all fall into that same range for me. I’m very critical of Kyle Trask, but I have to respect his journey to becoming Florida’s full-time starter. Even though Newman has a slightly better build and athletic profile, I’ll give a slight edge to Trask. He has trouble moving outside of the pocket, pushing the ball downfield, and makes some horrible throws at times, but Trask could succeed in a West Coast Offense.

Zerrick Cooper, Jacksonville State

This is probably the biggest wild card on my list. My Clemson fans will remember Cooper, and so will my Jacksonville State crowd. Like fellow FCS prospect Trey Lance, Cooper was head and shoulders above most of his competition. He’s very sound mechanically for an FCS quarterback and has excellent size and athleticism to go along with it. Cooper makes some impressive throws, and while he’ll need some work to succeed at the next level, I like what I see out of him. He could start one day for an NFL team if he’s coached properly.

Kellen Mond, Texas A&M

Oh, Kellen Mond. Ever since his freshman year, everyone has been waiting for him to break out and become this superstar under Jimbo Fischer. The problem is, he never has. While he has a live arm and good athletic traits, you have to wonder if the “next step” is ever coming for Mond. NFL coaching will produce one of two results: either Mond will finally take that next step and be one of the four or five best quarterbacks in the class, or he will succumb to the challenges of NFL defenses. My money is on the latter right now.

Davis Mills, Stanford

I’ve been high on Davis Mills for a minute, and I wrote a profile on him back when he wasn’t even listed on TDN or PFF’s respective draft boards. I’ve been following Mills since he was a five-star recruit out of Atlanta, and he still possesses a lot of those traits that lifted him to that status. Ironically enough, I think if he reaches his full potential, he’s the spitting image of Matt Ryan. I don’t think he’s as athletic as Ryan, but he can move around the pocket well enough, and he can absolutely zip the football to almost anywhere on the field. He is a guy that will live or die by the coaching staff that drafts him.

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