 Steve so we are a week away from the NFL draft and the Falcons enter this draft with a very intriguing pick Some people have said it's the most interesting pick in the draft some people have said the draft starts in Atlanta So a week away If I had to ask you what direction you think the Falcons are headed. What would you say? Tough call. I mean, I mean they're in Here's why I say that because it's not gonna be the most interesting pick the most interesting picture to happen It's right before them with the 49ers Because we keep we've heard Mack Jones for weeks now But remember no one started taught was talking about Mack Jones is a top five pick until the Niners traded up to three I've spoken to some people over the past couple days. I don't think they have a direct sign of it because the Niners are playing it close to the vest We don't think it's gonna be Mack Jones They don't think that they gave up all that free for it to be Mack Jones. So let's say it's Trey Lance That's the name you hear more so Than Mack Jones and work then then Justin Fields and we're talking about that pick So if they go Trey Lance, then that's an option off the board for the Falcons Mack Jones people I've talked to He's not an option at four for the Falcons that that's someone if he's not picking three who could you could see slip? so Is it Justin Fields? Maybe Kyle Pitts from everything I gather it's more so Kyle Pitts and it's not just because He's someone who could give them an immediate impact and I can tell you this the Falcons are looking for immediate impact out of some of their Rookies because some of their contract and salary situations. They've got to have some rookies play right away You know, especially if they feel they drafty well But because that position now that hybrid Titan position has become so important in the NFL With defense getting more athletic defense is playing nickel and dime Packages 70 to 80 percent of the time if you've got someone like pitch You can run like a wide receiver block like a tight end and do some things at age back again Think of George Kittle, right? Maybe more athletic George Kittle That opens up the field and yes Matt Ryan may only have one or two or three more years in him That's not a bad option to have was a quarterback with one or two or three more years in So I think if you get a Kyle pitch you can address some other positions They know they're gonna get an edge rusher and some some defensive front help elsewhere in the draft Maybe second round. Let's not forget the Falcons have the fourth pick in the second round That maybe that's where you get a quarterback Kyle Trask a Kellen Mann someone like that They've got to add a quarterback Kelsey. They've only got one on the roster right now that being Matt Ryan So it'll be intriguing so I Would lean more towards Kyle pits unless a team comes up To trade so That's a good segue point for us So let's talk about the trade situation here because when you look at the quarterback needy teams, it's Washington Chicago New England Those are the three off the top of my head How do you balance You have the number four overall pick and this this falcon season was going for it You know poorly towards the end and you know, there's a large part of the fan base that just wanted it a good draft pick So how do you balance? Say one of those teams. That's a far way to And I know the Kings ransom that you would get for the future But you were banking on that fourth overall pick. I guess it's just like it's such an interesting Predicament because you want to like you said get an impact player But are you gonna get that if you trade to 15 we're New England is? Yeah, I can't see the talk. It's reading back that far a lot of people I've talked to in the NFL Don't see it because I said the the pages are 15. I think the Bears are at 20 somewhere. Yeah, and Washington's right around that mark. I mean, that's a Yes, you can get bodies and yes, that's probably where some of these edge rushers Will be yeah, right? So if that's the emphasis you want to put I get it plus you can get Probably first round picks for the future, which let's say next year If you do decide to part ways with Matt Ryan, you've got now an extra you know extra draft equity to trade back up, right? You're you're you're continuing but you're continuing to kind of cut cut cut cut to do that and I think the falcons trade back It probably would not be out of the top 10 It prop maybe 11 maybe But I still don't see it because if the teams are coming up to four They're not actually coming up for that quarterback. They're some double those teams are coming up for Kyle Pitts And again, I don't know if the falcons would say we're going to forsake Kyle Pitts to move back six slots And allow a team like a Dallas or allow a team like the Giants whomever to take Kyle Pitts Right. Well, and you know, Arthur Smith was at Kyle Pitts's pro day and Kyle Pitts has been out and saying that He's had a lot of conversations with the Falcons, but here's one that I wanted to get your opinion on and I tweeted this yesterday What about Penne Sewell at four What do you think about that? It's an option. He's a great player a great player. Remember, he was an opt out last year. He's one of the opt out guys Who didn't play but just a dynamic tackle if you need to play guard against super athletic super tough That wouldn't stun me Kelsey because if you look at Arthur Smith And if you look at Terry Fontenot and the way those teams were built the Saints and the Titans Offensive Massive tough offensive lines, right? You know, you think You know the Saints getting guys like Toronto armstead and it wasn't it wasn't a first round pick But just some of the some of the offensive linemen set the linemen that they had And then the Titans invested a ton You know, they had Taylor Luan and Jack Conklin both first round draft picks to tackle They went out paid big money for Roger Saffold at guard. So it wouldn't it wouldn't stun me If that's the way they went it that would that would not surprise me at all. I think it would Surprise some folks, you know coming after them in the draft because in Kyle Pitts is going to be available and uh Okay, then what are the what are the Bengals do? Maybe they trade back a slot. Maybe they trade back a little bit if somebody wants to come up and get a Kyle Pitts So that would be an interesting domino. I still think It is going to be somebody who's going to be putting up stats in in Kyle Pitts Or someone will be putting up stats in a quarterback for the future A fantasy football picket four Oh, it's so funny because And we're just trying to understand for the past couple of years. It's been a very needs-based draft in Atlanta and So the adjustment of the thought Kyle Pitts is like crazy because you're like, yeah, Julio Jones Hayden Hurst Calvin Ridley like do you need another weapon? Because if Matt Ryan's on his back the whole time and they can't run the ball It doesn't matter what weapons you have but then you remind yourself terry font No wants to take the best player available Is Kyle Pitts the best player available over pen a stool. It's just like oh crazy my game Okay, let me let me get let me get let's hit the bpa thing first. That's a player Let's hit it It is a myth. It is it is it is gm. It is gm Cliche, right? We have coach speak. This is gm When you are drafting in the top seven or eight you are drafting For need Right, the jaguars are drafting Trevor Lawrence because they need a quarterback The Jets are driving jack drafting jack jack wilson because they need a quarterback The niners are drafting a quarterback because jimmy garoppolo one doesn't stay on the field We saw what happened last year because and two they're going to move off of him after the season That is a need base thing So you say they don't they don't need a tight end well You look at you look at the successful all successful offenses today, especially with the schemes that Arthur Smith runs They need that second tight end, especially a hybrid type The really good tight ends the Gronks um travis kelsey travis kelsey George kittle Some of these teams That do that they've got the hybrid dual threat tight ends. It opens up the offense again Football is now a game of geometry of spatial angles. And if you've got a bigger piece in that geometry game Who can run like a smaller piece like a pitch? That really helps you out a lot. So again, this best player available thing when you're when you're drafting In the top seven or eight. I mean come on Best player available happens when a cd lamb drops in the cowboys lab last year 17 It's in the calvin ridley for the falcons in 2018. Exactly. Exactly. Um, yeah, no, and that's a really good point I'm glad I'm glad you brought that up. All right. So to close it out You're you're headed in the kyle pits direction a week away from the draft Do you do you think you'll change your mind and go go the the quarterback route because Uh, I I guess, you know, it just depends on what the 49ers do right if they do Traylands, Justin Fields. I agree with you. I don't think it it'll be mac jones to the falcons But it'll be interesting to see if the 49ers don't take Justin Fields And he's sitting there What they do Yeah, I mean, I don't think the falcons are saying hey our picks going to be predicated On the Niners But you know, the falcons have done their homework on all these quarterbacks, right? And let's say there's one that they do really like all of a sudden You're like, okay. Well, he's off the board now. So Let's go to a let's trust our board. Kyle pits is the guy We really liked so that quarterback option is off. So Kyle pits is going to be our guy or let's say um The lions from seven Call and say hey, look, we're trading up because we want to get a quarterback. We'll give you our seven Next year is number one. You say, huh, it's the lions If they're trading for quarterback now They could be picking top 10 next year. We're going to make the move See, this is another reason why you don't trade back to 15 with the pagers because they could be picking 15 or 18 next year Or with washington because they could be picking in the same slots next year You know, that's another thing to factor in you look at the teams roster if who you're trading with And if they could be picked in top 10 Didn't you make the move? So You have to examine that. That's why, you know, we this is when things get very very serious And they're and there will be trades. There's going to be some teams coming up some teams sliding back Who will those teams be? And there will be and there will be a quarterback that falls it happens every year Yeah Yeah, and look and those and those guys were looking at the second round quarterbacks to kellen monge The coyote tracks davis mills one of those guys could slide up Into the second round. Let's not forget that high second round pick that the falcons have Is a lovely second round pick if you want to come up and get one of those guys Or if you want to come up and get an edge rusher or one of these off ends of lineman who could be sitting there You come up and get it, you know, or that's a nice chip to have on day two, right? It could also be used on a running back. You forgot to name that as one of the multiple positions You know what, you know, I They're they're going to add that I do not see that in the second round Mike davis is a better player than people give him credit for even though because they should know that because he ran all last year Um, but I don't see that coming in the in the second round either. I think that's where You know, well, maybe I mean second rounds usually were running backs go But they've they've got to get some help on the defensive front. Remember dean peas is coming in We're going to say, you know, he's going to run an odd front 34 front But again teams are only a base defense less than 30 percent of the time So it's not a huge measure anymore to get 34 personnel as opposed to the 43 personnel the falcons run They've just got to get some big Physical players and that's one thing to keep in mind this draft too. Kelsey. They want to get bigger This is a defense, especially that was built on speed. They want to get bigger and more physical So look for some of those types of players To be slotted in when they when they draft the best player available You