Falcons general manager Terry Fontenot, coach Arthur Smith and offensive coordinator Dave Ragone were at Ohio State’s first Pro Day on March 30, and three members from the franchise are set to attend Justin Fields’ second Pro Day on Wednesday, according to Albert Breer of the TheMMQB.
Fields, who played at Harrison High and started his college career at Georgia, is the AJC’s second-rated quarterback in the draft.
The Falcons hold the fourth pick in the draft, which is set for April 29 to May 1.
Jacksonville, the New York Jets and the San Francisco 49ers hold the first three picks in the draft and are projected to select Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence, BYU’s Zach Wilson and Alabama’s Mac Jones. If San Francisco, which didn’t attend Fields’ first Pro Day, selects Jones, the Falcons would have the option to take Fields with the fourth pick.
Fontenot and Smith also attended the Pro Day for former Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence and for North Dakota State’s Trey Lance. Smith was seen on camera at Jones’ first Pro Day.
The Falcons are in the quarterback market, with only Matt Ryan on the roster. Ryan is set to turn 36 in May and backup Matt Schaub retired. Kurt Benkert, who was being developed by the former regime, was released.
The Falcons restructured Ryan’s contract to get under the salary cap and would have to take massive salary-cap hits to release him. While signaling that Ryan is their quarterback, the Falcons have continued to scout the top quarterback prospects in the draft.
Lawrence, who’s from Cartersville, is widely considered the top quarterback prospect in the draft.
Fields, along with Wilson, trained with former BYU and NFL quarterback John Beck. Beck led Fields’ portion of his first Pro Day workout.
In addition to a strong passing performance at his first Pro Day, Fields ran the 40-yard sash in 4.44 seconds. The only quarterback to run a faster time at the NFL scouting combine was Robert Griffin, who ran the 40 in 4.41 seconds in 2012. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the NFL did not hold the scouting combine this year, making the Pro Day workout more important in the draft process.
Over the past two seasons at Ohio State, Fields emerged as one of the nation’s top players and was a finalist for the Heisman Trophy in 2019. In two seasons with the Buckeyes, Fields completed 68.4% of his passes for 5,373 yards, 63 touchdowns and nine interceptions.
He turned in a dynamic performance against Clemson in the playoff semifinals as he completed 22 of 28 throws for 385 yards, six touchdowns and an interception in a 49-28 victory.
He started his career at Georgia in 2018 and backed up Jake Fromm. Fields transferred after his lone season and received an NCAA waiver to play immediately at Ohio State.
With Fontenot preferring a best-player-available strategy in the draft, Fields clearly is an option for the Falcons if the 49ers take the less-heralded Jones.
Fontenot and Smith are looking forward to rebuilding the position with the Falcons and possibly landing the team’s quarterback of the future.
Ryan, who turns 36 in May, has said he wants to play into his 40s. The most prolific passer in franchise history is under contract for through 2023.
“That’s an exciting part of it because we are going to utilize all of the avenues, whether it’s in free agency, at any point in the draft and even after the draft,” Fontenot said. “I’ve been places where we’ve traded for quarterbacks.”
Fontenot has studied how former Green Bay Packers general manager Ron Wolf, who was enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2015, amassed quarterbacks in the 1990s and used them as trade fodder.
In 1994, Brett Favre, Mark Brunell, Ty Detmer and Kurt Warner were the quarterbacks in the Packers’ training camp. Warner was cut and went to play in the Arena Football League. He resurfaced with the Rams and went on to have a Hall of Fame career.
With Favre already on the roster from the trade with the Falcons, Wolf drafted quarterbacks in 1992, 1993 and 1995 through 1999.
Detmer, despite winning the Heisman Trophy, was selected in the ninth round of the 1992 draft. At 6-foot, he was thought to be too short to succeed in the NFL.
Wolf took Washington’s Mark Brunell in the fifth round of the 1993 draft. He also selected Alabama’s Jay Barker (sixth round, 1995), USC’s Kyle Wachholtz (seventh round, 1996), Army’s Rod McAda (seventh round, 1997), Boston College’s Matt Hasselbeck (sixth round, Boston College) and Virginia’s Aaron Brooks (fourth round, 1999).
Brunell, Hasselbeck and Brooks went on to become starters with other teams.
Brunell went to three Pro Bowls and was 78-73 as a starter. He played until he was 41.
Hasselbeck took Seattle to its first Super Bowl appearance after the 2005 season and went to three Pro Bowls. He had an 85-75 record as a starter.
He played with the Titans in 2011 and 2012, when Smith was a defensive quality control assistant (2011) and offensive quality control assistant (2012).
When Wolf hit on the quarterbacks, they later were traded for draft picks.
Brunell was traded to Jacksonville for third-round and fifth-round picks in 1994.
Hasselbeck was traded to Seattle along with a first-round pick (17th) to get a first-round pick (10th) and a third-round pick in 2000.
The Packers traded Brooks and tight end Lamont Hall to the Saints for linebacker K.D. Williams and a third-round pick in the 2001 draft.
“We are always looking to bring in quarterbacks,” Fontenot said. “We have a real good (coaching situation) from Arthur Smith to Dave Ragone. We have a really good offensive staff, and I think it’s going to be attractive. I think quarterbacks are going to want to be here.”
Falcons’ 2021 draft position: Here are the top 10 picks in D. Led’s Mock Draft 4.0:
1. Jacksonville Jaguars: Trevor Lawrence (QB, Clemson)
2. New York Jets: Zach Wilson, (QB, BYU)
3. San Francisco 49ers: Justin Fields (QB, Ohio State)
4. Atlanta Falcons: Penei Sewell (OT, Oregon)
5. Cincinnati Bengals: Ja’Marr Chase (WR, LSU)
6. Miami Dolphins: Kyle Pitts (TE, Florida)
7. Detroit Lions: DeVonta Smith (WR, Alabama)
8. Carolina Panthers: Jaylen Waddle (WR, Alabama)
9. Denver Broncos: Trey Lance (QB, North Dakota State)
10. Dallas Cowboys: Patrick Surtain (CB, Alabama)
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