INDIANAPOLIS — The idea that North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye could be an option for the Atlanta Falcons would have seemed ludicrous a week ago, but after a week at the NFL Scouting Combine, it has become clear the Falcons need to keep an open mind about a lot of options.
From the beginning of the season, Maye was considered one of the top two quarterback prospects in this year’s draft class along with USC’s Caleb Williams, but Maye’s stock has dropped of late and he could be the fourth quarterback taken in this draft, according to a league source. The Athletic’s Dane Brugler still has Maye listed as the No. 2 quarterback and No. 4 prospect in his top 100, but combine week often leads to changes in rankings as media opinions begin to more closely align with scouting opinions.
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For instance, Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy once seemed like an option, maybe even a not-so-inspiring option, for the Falcons with the No. 8 pick, but McCarthy’s stock with NFL scouts began to surpass that level in mid-October, the league source said. Now it’s possible McCarthy could go as high as No. 2 to the Washington Commanders.
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If Williams goes first to the Chicago Bears as is widely expected and McCarthy is selected by the Commanders, things would get interesting at No. 3, which is held by the New England Patriots. Like the Falcons, the Las Vegas Raiders have been vocal about their desire to add a quarterback in the offseason, and head coach Antonio Pierce recruited Jayden Daniels and coached him at Arizona State (before Daniels transferred to LSU). Pierce and Daniels remain close, and the Raiders could make an aggressive offer to trade up from No. 13 to No. 3 to get Daniels.
The Falcons might be thinking the same thing, or they might be thinking about Maye. The North Carolina quarterback’s first combine meeting this week was with Falcons quarterbacks coach T.J. Yates, Maye said. Yates also is a former North Carolina quarterback.
“That was my first interview at the combine, so it made it easy being with a North Carolina guy,” Maye said. “I was really impressed (with the Falcons).”
“You don’t want to game plan for me — you want to game plan with me.”
I caught up with North Carolina QB Drake Maye at the combine for @gmfb @nflnetwork pic.twitter.com/q2fJR2yUCE
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) March 1, 2024
Of course, this is the time of year when most prospects are heaping praise on every team. Maye also called New York Giants coach Brian Daboll one of the best offensive minds in football, said Denver Broncos coach Sean Payton was “awesome,” was “impressed with the Patriots” and said he has “so much respect for” Pierce in Las Vegas.
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In addition to meeting with Maye, the Falcons had formal interviews with Williams, Daniels, Washington quarterback Michael Penix and South Carolina quarterback Spencer Rattler in Indianapolis. Each team is allowed 45 formal interviews at the combine in addition to informal meetings that always end up taking place in hallways and slow moments.
“I love Atlanta,” Daniels said. “They have a lot of weapons.”
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All of the various possibilities surrounding the incoming rookie quarterbacks won’t matter to Atlanta if it has a new starter before the draft. That would mean a free-agent signing or trade for a veteran, both of which could happen after March 13, the start of the new league year.
The veteran most often linked to Atlanta in Indianapolis was Chicago’s Justin Fields, a Georgia native who began his college career at the University of Georgia. The Bears are believed to be trying to trade Fields to make way for a rookie quarterback.
Though the three-year veteran isn’t a natural fit in the 11 personnel offense the Falcons are expected to employ, his physical skills and name recognition could be intriguing for Atlanta at an executive level. No formal meeting between the Falcons and Bears in Indianapolis could be confirmed, but interest might heat up if other options are eliminated.
Fields is 10-28 as a starter in Chicago. He is 38th in the league in passer rating (82.3) in the last three seasons among players with 20 or more games played, according to TruMedia. He is second among quarterbacks in yards gained on designed runs (429) and first in EPA on scrambles (60.88).
The Robinson/Allgeier tandem
Third-year running back Tyler Allgeier, who had 1,035 rushing yards as a rookie in 2022 before being supplanted by rookie Bijan Robinson as the No. 1 running back in 2023, has been assured he will get plenty of carries under the new coaching staff, a league source said.
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Allgeier had 210 carries in 2022 and then 186 carries for 683 yards in 2023. Robinson had 214 carries for 976 yards last season, and the previous coaching staff came out of the season feeling like it should have gotten Allgeier more carries, a different league source said.
“A guy like Bijan, we believe he’s the right player, the makeup, the skill set. When you get players like that, they are multipliers,” general manager Terry Fontenot said. “They make players around them better. He did some really good things. He did some special things, and yet there are areas we’re going to continue to improve with him.”
First-year head coach Raheem Morris also expressed optimism about Robinson’s future.
“Bijan can be a special player in this league for a long time,” Morris said. “The sky is the limit for a guy like Bijan.”
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Organizational alignment
Team president Greg Beadles attended the combine for the first time during his time with the team and sat in on interviews with some of the prospects. Beadles’ role on the football side could expand now that Fontenot and Morris no longer report directly to team CEO Rich McKay.
The quarterback crapshoot
For all the effort the Falcons will put into acquiring their next quarterback, Morris acknowledged that evaluating the position can be a crapshoot.
“We all evaluated Tom Brady wrong,” he said. “It has continuously been an issue for everybody. You have to have your profile set on what you look for. It’s just a hard position to evaluate. That’s just what it is.”
No hard feelings
Former Falcons coach Arthur Smith spent the week in Indianapolis in his new role as the Pittsburgh Steelers offensive coordinator, but it didn’t lead to any awkward moments. Smith maintains a friendly relationship with Fontenot and the rest of Atlanta’s executives.
“We’re like brothers,” Fontenot said. “Love Arthur, love his family, and we’re rooting for him going to Pittsburgh. If you spend any time around Arthur, you can tell he’s a smart guy, and all he cares about is making that team better.”
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(Photo of Drake Maye: Trevor Ruszkowski / USA Today)
