The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Quarterbacks
terbacks.
“They are doing their due diligence because they have to,” Davis said. “What if (Stroud) is sitting there? I know they drafted Desmond Ridder (last year), but is that truly … do you say to yourself that’s who I take?” Stroud could slip in the draft. “Sometimes you just have to say, ‘We have to take the best player,’” Davis said. “That may be C.J. Stroud, if the Falcons are sitting there and have to consider it like that.”
In addition to the Falcons, Stroud has met with the Texans and Raiders. The Texans have the second pick and the Raiders, the seventh.
“I tried to describe myself as free-flowing but still disciplined,” Stroud said. “Able to take the completion when it’s there, but at the same time making plays.”
Richardson also met with the Falcons.
“He’s a great kid, I like him a lot,” Davis said. “We just had an interview with him. He’s the most physically gifted quarterback in this draft by far. Like, it’s not even close. Will Levis will give him a little bit of a run.
“(Levis) knows where the weight room is, and he works out hard. But (Richardson) is so cut. Kind of like that Cam Newton wow factor.”
The knock on Richardson is that he made just 13 college starts. He was mostly inconsistent, but at times he dazzled for the Gators.
“The best of him on tape, you like a lot,” Davis said. “But there is an inconsistency to the tape. Is he going to develop that (consistency). There is a good chance of that, but he might have to do
it on the job.”
Teams looking for the next Brock Purdy in the later rounds could have a few options, including former Georgia quarterback Stetson Bennett.
Purdy was the last player taken in the 2022 draft and went on to have a fine season with the 49ers after Trey Lance and Jimmy Garoppolo sustained injuries.
“The Brock Purdy phenomenon happened because of two things,” Davis said. “One, he hit the right place with San Francisco.
A lot of people do well in San Francisco because they do a great job with QBs. Two, he had 48 career starts in college.”
Bennett is considered a lateround draft pick after guiding the Bulldogs to back-to-back national championships.
“I want to see him do all of the drills and run,” Davis said. “I have a sneaking suspicion that his numbers are going to be better than people think. I think he’s a better athlete than what people see.”
Davis pointed to a couple of splash plays by Bennett.
“I saw a couple of those big runs in college,” Davis said. “But the one that got me was against TCU in the national championship game. Two plays, he exited out (of the pocket) on a blindside blitz.
“He felt it. Made that baseball turn. Got outside and got upfield. There was another one, and we over-use this term, ‘he put his foot in the ground’ but he made that cut and whoosh.”