Falcons draft Nevada QB in Sports Illustrated’s 2022 mock

Five quarterbacks went in the first round of the 2021 draft, but the Atlanta Falcons didn’t bite on any of them with the No. 4 overall pick. Instead, the team drafted pass-catching tight end Kyle Pitts and will look to maximize Matt Ryan’s final years.

Time will tell whether or not the Falcons regret passing on Ohio State’s Justin Fields or Alabama’s Mac Jones. Nonetheless, the decision to take Pitts has left Atlanta without a long-term answer at the quarterback position. So if you were sick of mock drafts projecting the team to select a QB n 2021, you may want to avoid them altogether in 2022.

In Sports Illustrated’s new mock draft, Lorenz Leinweber has the Falcons adding Nevada quarterback Carson Strong with the tenth overall pick to be Ryan’s successor in 2022.

“Atlanta had the chance to draft a quarterback in last year’s draft but chose to postpone the decision around Matt Ryan’s succession,” writes Leinweber. “Strong is a big-armed pocket passer who would be a great fit in an Arthur Smith offense.”

Strong is 6-foot-4, 215 pounds with a cannon for an arm. In 2020, he threw for 2,848 passing yards, 27 touchdowns and just four interceptions. Watch below as the Nevada QB throws for over 400 yards and four touchdowns in a game against Wyoming.