Falcons general manager Terry Fontenot and coach Arthur Smith are scheduled to attend North Dakota State’s Pro Day in Fargo, N.D., on Friday, according to Albert Breer of the TheMMQB.
Quarterback Trey Lance is the top prospect from the perennial FCS powerhouse. Fontenot and Smith also attended the Pro Day for former Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence.
The Falcons hold the fourth pick in the draft and 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.
Lawrence, who’s from Cartersville, is widely considered the top quarterback prospect in the draft.
Jacksonville has the first pick in the draft. The New York Jets have the second pick and could select a quarterback. Miami holds the third pick and then the Falcons. The draft is set be held April 29-May 1 in Cleveland.
Lance, BYU’s Zach Wilson, Ohio State’s Justin Fields, and Alabama’s Mac Jones all could get drafted in the top 10. Fields, who played at Harrison High, started his career at Georgia.
NFL Network draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah compared Lance with the late Steve McNair, who played at Alcorn State.
“I was around Steve toward the end of his career, and if you watched him when he was younger, you’ll see him run and you’ll see him, he’ll get hit by a linebacker at the 4-yard line and find his way into the end zone,” Jeremiah said. “You see the same thing with Trey Lance.”
They both played at the FCS level, formerly Division I-AA.
“Both guys were dominant at that level,” Jeremiah said. “If you look at them, they have powerful arms to be able to drive the football down the field. You look at guys that their teammates really, really rally around and love. I just think there a lot of similarities between the two.”
Falcons’ 2021 draft position: Here are the picks in D. Led’s Mock Draft 2.0: Top five picks
1. Jacksonville Jaguars: Trevor Lawrence (QB, Clemson)
2. New York Jets: Justin Fields, (QB, Ohio State)
3. Miami Dolphins: Ja’Marr Chase (WR, LSU)
4. Falcons: Kyle Pitts (TE, Florida)
5. Cincinnati Bengals: Penei Sewell, (OT, Oregon)
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