The Atlanta Falcons navigated last year's draft without the safety net of a first-round pick, but barring some sort of pre-draft trade, they won't have that problem in 2027. In fact, the Falcons just added an extra second-round pick thanks to the Jessie Bates trade.
Based on how the first half of the season has gone, we wouldn't be surprised to see the team picking in the top 10. The Falcons are currently slated for the 10th overall pick going into NFL Week 10. The last time Atlanta had a top-10 pick, the team selected quarterback Michael Penix Jr. in 2024.
Unfortunately for Penix, he hasn't really gotten a fair shake in his three NFL seasons. The former No. 8 pick out of Washington had to back up Kirk Cousins during his rookie season and then
tore his ACL in his second year. Penix has been up and down thus far in 2026, but his highs have been quite encouraging.
Nonetheless, the Falcons will likely face more quarterback questions going into this year's draft - unless Penix does enough to quiet the noise over the final nine weeks. For now, we've got a new mock draft that has Atlanta taking a quarterback.
With the 10th overall pick in NBC Sports' post-trade deadline mock draft, the Falcons selected Missouri quarterback Austin Simmons. Here's what Connor Rogers had to say about his decision to replace Penix with another lefty signal-caller.
"The Falcons are in an interesting spot with Michael Penix. He’s shown he can hit big throws and attack down the field, but on top of injury issues he’s still significantly struggling under pressure (yards per attempt drops to 5.1 when pressured). Even more notable is that this regime did not draft him, leaving quarterback very much on the table if they pick this high. Ironically, Simmons is another lefty with a big time arm, but he’ll be a 21 year old NFL rookie if he declares. There’s a good chance he returns to Missouri for more starting experience, but he has pro tools and has played a decisive, confident brand of football all season." - Connor Rogers, NBC Sports
By most indications, Simmons is expected to return to Missouri for another season. It's also worth noting that we are in that stage of the season when quarterbacks start shooting up and down mock draft boards based on week-to-week hype.
However, as a prospect, Simmons is no joke. The Tigers quarterback has thrown 18 touchdown passes to just two interceptions while completing 62.8 percent of his passes this season. At 6-foot-4, 220 pounds, Simmons has the prototypical size and am strength of an NFL QB.
Having said that, the Falcons have other needs, including the offensive line, where they must find a new starting center after trading Ryan Neuzil at the deadline. Right tackle Jawaan Taylor is set to enter free agency in 2027, plus Jake Matthews is 34 years old and can't play forever.
Hopefully, Penix will play well enough over these final eight weeks to solidify the job so that the Falcons can use their draft capital elsewhere.
This article originally appeared on Falcons Wire: Falcons take QB with No. 10 pick in NBC Sports' mock draft
