2021 NFL Mock Draft: Trey Lance to Panthers, Packers nab big OT over 3 full rounds

Arthur Smith is taking over as the head coach of the Atlanta Falcons after having plenty of success as the offensive coordinator of the Tennessee Titans. Once known simply for their defensive prowess, the Titans flourished this past season under Smith — and it wasn’t just due to Derrick Henry having a monster season. Smith also got the most out of quarterback Ryan Tannehill and saw both A.J. Brown and Corey Davis grow into top-flight wide receivers. All that work led to his first head coaching job, and he does have a lot of talent to work with in Atlanta.

The problem is, many of their best players are getting up there in age. For that reason, there has been plenty of speculation that the Falcons could move some of their best players as they begin a rebuild. The top candidates to move on would be wide receiver Julio Jones and quarterback Matt Ryan. Both could still fetch something and a team that’s only a quarterback away could make a play for Ryan. For Atlanta, making this move would only make sense if they had a replacement ready to go, which they would if they landed Zach Wilson out of BYU.

Wilson was a surprising player this past season as he ascended from a quarterback to watch to one of the best in the nation. He was excellent with his anticipation throws and at times looked to be the best passer in the nation. Some might call him a one-year wonder but he has a lot of experience and showed growth each and every season for the Cougars.

Saying goodbye to Ryan won’t be easy, since he was such an integral part of their last rebuild — and is responsible for a lot of their success on offense in recent years. However, it’s not often that a team such as Atlanta drafts this high and they can’t pass up a player with the tools Wilson has.