The season has not yet started, but there’s no denying the Falcons have a great chance of being in the market for a quarterback when the draft rolls around next season.

Tua Tagovailoa does not look like the answer, and Michael Penix Jr.’s injury history is beyond worrisome. Given this new regime had nothing to do with drafting the former Washington standout, he’s going to have to show a lot for the team to commit to him beyond this year.

The good news? Next year’s quarterback class is absolutely loaded, with Bleacher Report’s latest mock draft having the Falcons take Notre Dame’s CJ Carr with the 8th overall pick.

“Concern continues to grow in Atlanta as the Falcons try to find out whether Tua Tagovailoa or Michael Penix Jr. can be their long-term answer at quarterback,” Brent Sobieski writes. “Clearly, neither proved themselves in this scenario. The position’s top tier of prospects has already been chosen, but Notre Dame’s CJ Carr has a skill set that should serve him well as part of Kevin Stefanski’s offensive scheme.”

Carr was my pick to win the Heisman entering the season, and while his performance in Week 1 against Wisconsin wasn’t anything to write home about, he still ended the game with 239 yards through the air, tossing two touchdowns and no interceptions.

He’s not the freak athlete who’s going to burn defenses with his legs like you see a lot at the top of the first round these days, but he’s a surgeon in the pocket who understands where defenses are vulnerable and gets the ball out on time. He’s also got a big arm that he trusts to push the ball downfield and into tight windows.

Carr looks like a quarterback prospect who’s going to be taken in the first round if he decides to leave Notre Dame. However, there is going to be a lot of shuffling with top prospects this year. It really feels like there are at least five quarterbacks who could be in the conversation for the #1 overall pick depending on how this season shakes out.

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(Photo by Dan Sanger/Icon Sportswire)