5. George Paton
The first candidate that could intrigue the Falcons is current Minnesota Vikings Assistant General Manager, George Paton.
Paton is in his 14th season with the Vikings in 2020 and works closely with Minnesota general manager Rick Spielman in decisions that are made by the Vikings’ front office. In Minnesota, Paton is primarily in charge of coordinating scouting and personnel functions within the Pro Scouting Department while leading the College Scouting Department in preparation for the NFL Draft every year.
Before coming to Minnesota, Paton spent time with both the Chicago Bears and the Miami Dolphins. With the Bears, he broke into the NFL as a college and pro scout with in Chicago and was later promoted to Assistant Director of Pro Personnel in 2000. Paton then went on to work for the Dolphins’ front office for six seasons until 2006, serving as the Director of Pro Personnel.
Paton has played a role in helping the Vikings continue to make impressive moves with their depth chart alongside Spielman and he could be a nice option for Atlanta to look at for its opening at general manager.