The combine has come and gone, and the draft will be here before we know it. While we won't know how the 2023 draft is going to go until it is upon us, one thing is for certain: The Falcons need to find their franchise quarterback... NOW. While this is only Desmond Ridder's second season, the Falcons are headed in to the third season under the Fontenot/Smith regime, and while Arthur Smith has been known to give his leadership teams a little more leash than other NFL owners, the clock is still ticking.
Everyone assumes that the starting quarterback position will be Desmond Ridder's job to lose, and that's probably the case. If Anthony Richardson or Will Levis are still there at eight, don't the Falcons have to at least consider it? The last thing that the Falcons can afford is for them to be starting their fourth quarterback in four years in 2024. Whether it is Desmond Ridder, a rookie out of the draft, or a veteran that they trade for, according to Andy Bunker and Randy McMichael: "The quarterback that starts game one in 2023 has to be the same quarterback that starts game one in 2024."