Could Latest Indication From Falcons GM Make For Draft-Day Madness?
Atlanta could be leaning quarterback with the No. 8 pick
The 2022 NFL Draft does not feature the elite quarterback prospects of the class before it.
A few prospects have picked up some steam, however, and the Atlanta Falcons appear to be among the teams interested.
"We could come out of this draft with a quarterback," Falcons general manager Terry Fontenot told reporters Tuesday, according to ESPN's Michael Rothstein.
Fontenot said Atlanta, who traded longtime signal-caller Matt Ryan to the Indianapolis Colts this offseason, plans on adding to the quarterback room in the draft, per Rothstein.
The Falcons hold the No. 8 pick in the first round. While it's not definite that Atlanta will try to find it's franchise signal-caller with a top-10 pick, the options certainly is there.
There are five quarterbacks with betting odds to land in the top ten of Round 1 on DraftKings Sportsbook.
Liberty's Malik Willis -105
Pittsburgh's Kenny Picket +300
Ole Miss's Matt Corral +2000
Cincinnati's Desmond Ridder +2000
North Carolina's Sam Howell +3000
Willis and Pickett seem like the most likely options out of the bunch given that both oddsmakers and NFL analysts depict it as a two-horse race. Ridder would be the big-money play out of the three underdogs as a $100 bet would pay out $2,100 if cashed.
While the Falcons are open about their QB search, the Detroit Lions (No. 2), Carolina Panthers (No. 6) and Seattle Seahawks (No. 9) also are worth monitoring. There is also the possibility of a team trading up to join the mix.
While quarterbacks have picked up momentum, the Under on quarterbacks taken in Round 1 is still in play.
The first round of the 2022 NFL Draft kicks off Thursday at 8 p.m. ET in Las Vegas.
