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#2 - Taylor Heinicke is good, but not great enough to lead re-branded Commanders
The Washington Football Team finally has a new team name and brand: the Washington Commanders. A new name requires a new face of the franchise at quarterback.
Taylor Heinicke has played admirably (pun-intended) for Washington since taking over for Ryan Fitzpatrick and has had some statement wins since then. Heinicke is still young and raw in the NFL, though.
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Washington picks #11 in the first round and will likely have their pick of the entire quarterback class. Malik Willis from Liberty seems to be trending as the top quarterback after Saturday's Senior Bowl.
Heinicke will remain in play to be the starter, but Willis brings a better arm and more athletic ability to the roster. No matter who ends up as the starter, the other one will provide the team with a strong backup.
If Washington would rather focus on the rest of the roster first, that's doable. Sam Howell will likely fall to the second round and Washington can still snag a highly rated prospect.
Howell is more of a player who will serve to push Heinicke to his limits and show the team just how far he can take them. With time, they could develop Howell as a starter.
#3 - Atlanta Falcons could return as NFL contender with young QB
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers lost Tom Brady. The New Orleans Saints lost head coach Sean Payton. The Carolina Panthers lost all faith in Sam Darnold and Cam Newton. The Atlanta Falcons have a prime opportunity to take a gamble and shift the momentum in the NFC South.
Their defense has potential with pillars like cornerback AJ Terrell and defensive end Grady Jarrett. The offense is in need of more playmakers to pair with tight end Kyle Pitts, but it starts with the quarterback.
Matt Ryan was one of the worst NFL quarterbacks last year and was a complete dud in fantasy football. While he won't have as much competition in the division in 2022, he didn't prove himself capable in 2021. Feleipe Franks and Josh Rosen are strictly backups and provide Atlanta with little hope for the future right now.
With the #8 pick, the Falcons should focus on an elite player like Ohio State wide receiver Garrett Wilson or Purdue edge-rusher George Karlaftis.
They can wait until the second round to look at a quarterback, like Cincinnati's Desmond Ridder or Nevada's Carson Strong. Both bring a level of athleticism that Ryan does not have and could provide a boost to the offense's intensity.
