NFL 2008 Mock Draft – Atlanta Falcons

With the Michael Vick chaos slowly becoming a thing of the past, the Atlanta Falcons are trying to move on as best they can. While Vick remains fresh in the minds of their fans, the Falcons have to begin re-assembling their team.

The Falcons have the third pick in the 2008 NFL draft and have plenty of directions they can go with the pick. However, the Falcons already made noise this offseason by signing Michael Turner. Turner, who many league experts think was the best running back on the open market, was signed to become the team’s new starting running back. After beginning his career with the San Diego Chargers behind LaDainian Tomlinson, Turner will try to prove he’s an every-down back with Atlanta.

Since the Falcons now have Turner and returning running back Jerious Norwood under contract, chances are the Falcons won’t look to draft a running back with the third pick of the draft. That means Darren McFadden will almost positively not be their pick.

Although they have good options at running back, quarterback still remains a big weakness for the Falcons. Last season, the Falcons lost both Vick and his backup (Matt Schaub). After trying various players at the quarterback position in 2007, the Falcons currently have Chris Redman and Joey Harrington signed. While both of those players are decent backup quarterbacks, the Falcons desperately need a franchise quarterback.

With that in mind, Matt Ryan is the obvious choice for the Falcons with the third overall pick. Ryan, the number one rated quarterback in the 2008 NFL draft, has played well in front of scouts and most experts expect him to go in the top ten. If Ryan is on the board, he’d be a very nice pick for the Falcons. If Ryan isn’t on the board, defensive players Chris Long and Glenn Dorsey would make sense.

Check out this Matt Ryan video: