PFF details their “perfect” draft for the Falcons

PFF recently released their “perfect” scenario for all non-playoff NFC teams, and of course, the Falcons were included.

Here were the three picks for the Falcons:

ATLANTA FALCONS

Round 1: QB Anthony Richardson, Florida

Round 2: CB Tyrique Stevenson, Miami (Fla.)

Round 3: WR Marvin Mims, Oklahoma

It’s a theme of both this article and the AFC version — if you have a pick outside the top three and have a current or future need at quarterback, landing a player with Richardson’s ceiling is close to perfect.

A Day 2 of Stevenson at cornerback and Mims, whose 603 receiving yards on catches 20-plus yards downfield ranked second in this class, would be a great continuation of the rebuild in Atlanta.

Falcons fans probably aren’t too sold on the idea of Richardson, and while I don’t dislike him as a prospect, it really just doesn’t seem like the Falcons are going to go with a quarterback. They’ve given Desmond Ridder multiple public votes of confidence, but who knows, maybe it’s all a smokescreen. Here’s what I had to say about Richardson in my quarterbacks big board:

3. Anthony Richardson — Florida

You can pretty much copy and paste those first few lines about Levis here, but I like Richardson’s upside enough to roll the dice on him and put him third. There are some things you can’t coach. 6’4, 230 pounds, great speed, and the ability to flick the ball 80 yards downfield falls under that category. Are there concerns? Absolutely. Do I think he could start day one in the NFL? Absolutely not. Do his traits make him worth the risk? You bet. NFL quarterbacks are all about traits, and Richardson has some of the best in this entire draft — not just for quarterbacks. He cannot be a day one starter in the NFL; there’s too much pre-snap and mechanical work to be done. In the right system with the right mentor, he could be an All-Pro. He posted a perfect Relative Athletic Score at the combine — all of the skills are there for him to succeed.

RAS: 10.00

I don’t think that Stevenson and Mims would be bad picks, but this is a pretty bad class for receivers and I expect multiple cornerbacks better than Stevenson to be available in round 2. Someone like Cam Smith or Emmanuel Forbes makes sense. Still, I understand the sentiment. We’ll see if the Falcons target cornerback and receiver — they don’t really throw the ball a lot, and they just picked up Jeff Okudah. I still think both positions are needs, but Atlanta has shown they’re committed to taking the best player available.

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Photo: Chris Leduc/Icon Sportswire