The draft never stops for me, and I’m already excited about a few players going into the 2022 season. The Falcons have a lot of needs, and they’re a team that could either completely flop or actually carve out a few wins in 2022-2023. Atlanta will have a ton of cap space next offseason, so who should they be looking ahead for in the 2023 Draft? I’ll be covering the defense later this week, but here’s five guys at each offensive position group that I have my eye on:
Quarterback
QB CJ Stroud — Ohio State
QB Bryce Young — Alabama
QB Devin Leary — NC State
QB Will Levis — Kentucky
QB Jake Haener — Fresno State
The Falcons just selected Desmond Ridder, but they only had to use a third-round pick on him. If Atlanta is in position to grab a guy like CJ Stroud or Bryce Young, I doubt they hesitate — especially if Ridder isn’t the guy they think he is. Leary, Levis, and Haener are candidates to go in the first round as well with big seasons.
Running Back
RB Bijan Robinson — Texas
RB Jahmyr Gibbs — Alabama
RB Zach Evans — Ole Miss
RB TreVeyon Henderson — Ohio State
RB Zach Charbonnet — UCLA
All five of these guys are excellent running backs, and it was tough to choose only five. This is going to be a deep class, and if the Falcons are competing at a competent level and fill some other needs in free agency, I wouldn’t rule any of these guys out.
Wide Receiver
WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba — Ohio State
WR Kayshon Boutte — LSU
WR Jordan Addison — Transfer Portal
WR Josh Downs — North Carolina
WR Jermaine Burton — Alabama
Right now, this class doesn’t look *as* stacked as years prior, but there’s still a ton of talent here — especially at the top. Even though Atlanta just picked up Drake London and may get Calvin Ridley back in 2023, if they aren’t satisfied with the weapons in free agency, they could snag another big time playmaker at the position.
Tight End
TE Arik Gilbert — Georgia
TE Darnell Washington — Georgia
TE Jaheim Bell — South Carolina
TE Michael Mayer — Notre Dame
TE Sam LaPorta — Iowa
Even though Atlanta just picked up Kyle Pitts using the fourth pick, there are some dangerous weapons here headlined by Arik Gilbert out of Georgia. We know Arthur Smith loves his tight ends, so I wouldn’t rule anything out.
Offensive Line
OT Paris Johnson — Ohio State
OT Broderick Jones — Georgia
OT Anton Harrison — Oklahoma
IOL Andrew Vorhees — USC
IOL Jarrett Patterson — Notre Dame
I could see Atlanta using a top pick on an offensive linemen, but with the cap space available in free agency, they may shy away from using a premium pick on a developmental piece. Still, this looks to be a pretty strong class early led by Ohio State’s Paris Johnson.
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Photographer: Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire
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