Atlanta Falcons drastically improve in this 7-round 2021 NFL mock draft

The Atlanta Falcons are undoubtedly in an interesting situation as a franchise. They are a talented team with impact playmakers on both sides of the ball but have consistently underperformed in recent years. It may be time for the Atlanta Falcons to build their roster for the future and that is exactly what they do in this complete seven-round 2021 NFL mock draft.

This feels like a good time for the Falcons to really start building towards the future, as they hired a new general manager in Terry Fontenot and a new head coach in Arthur Smith this offseason. Under the direction of Fontenot and Smith, the Falcons work to build this team for the long-term in this seven-round 2021 NFL mock draft.

Note: This 2021 NFL mock draft was completed using The Draft Network’s Mock Draft Machine.

Atlanta Falcons 2021 NFL mock draft: Round 1, 4th overall

The Atlanta Falcons are an incredibly difficult team to make predictions for early in the 2021 NFL Draft. Offensive tackle Penei Sewell is a strong option but the position is not necessarily a major need. Trading down to accumulate more draft capital stands out as another realistic possibility but the Miami Dolphins feel like a better trade down team picking just ahead of them at No. 3. Will there be enough of a trade-up market for both teams to move down with back-to-back picks?

The Falcons feel like a team that could go in many different directions at No. 4, but in the end, taking the long-term approach with a young franchise quarterback would probably be the best use of resources.

With Trevor Lawrence and Zach Wilson going first and second in this 2021 NFL mock draft, the Atlanta Falcons have a tough choice between Justin Fields and Trey Lance at No. 4. While they really cannot go wrong with either player, Lance feels like the better fit for the team and has more hype surrounding him at this point in the process.

Lance is arguably the most physically gifted quarterback prospect in this draft class. He has a huge arm and tremendous natural athleticism at the position. Lance is the best running quarterback in the class, showing an exciting combination of speed and power at all times. He is a big and strong player who can put his shoulder down and pick up tough yards and also shows legitimate breakaway speed in the open field. If nothing else, Lance enters the league as an immediate threat as a runner from the quarterback position.

While he is not the most consistently accurate quarterback in this class, Lance does show great ball placement skills at times. He is a smart quarterback who sees the field well and shows great pocket presence at all times. Lance does a great job of playing within the structure of the offense and taking what the defense gives him. However, his big arm coupled with great athleticism and natural playmaking ability allows him to improvise when needed as well.

Simply put, Lance is an incredibly talented quarterback prospect who undoubtedly has exciting long-term upside. Matt Ryan is still a solid NFL starting quarterback but he will be 36-years-old at the start of the 2021 season. The Atlanta Falcons should be preparing for life after Ryan right now and bringing a top-tier quarterback prospect like Lance into the mix is the best way to do that.