Could Washington move inside the top five of the 2021 NFL draft?

When the New York Jets traded Sam Darnold to the Carolina Panthers on Monday, it settled two quarterback situations for 2021.

The New York Jets will likely select BYU quarterback Zach Wilson at No. 2 overall, while the Panthers will see if offensive coordinator Joe Brady can turn Darnold’s career around.

The Jacksonville Jaguars appeared locked in with Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence at No. 1 overall. The Jets are expected to select Wilson at No. 2, and the San Francisco 49ers come in at No. 3.

After giving up multiple future assets, the 49ers are drafting a quarterback.

Which one?

While there is a lot of speculation that Jones could be Kyle Shanahan’s guy, Ohio State’s Justin Fields and North Dakota State’s Trey Lance could also be the choice.

For the first time since 1999, three quarterbacks will be selected among the top three picks. Could the Atlanta Falcons, who hold the No. 4 overall pick, also be in the market for a quarterback?

The Falcons have veteran Matt Ryan under contract, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t interested in one of the top passers in this draft.

Atlanta is in a good position. It could sit at No. 4 and either pick its quarterback of the future or take Florida tight end Kyle Pitts to pair with Julio Jones and Calvin Ridley.

Or, the Falcons could auction the No. 4 pick to the highest bidder.

With teams locked into the first three overall picks, the Atlanta Falcons now have received trade calls from multiple teams and “are open to moving” out of the No. 4 spot, per source.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) April 6, 2021

Could the Washington Football Team look move up and select their quarterback of the future?

While head coach Ron Rivera didn’t sound like someone willing to mortgage multiple future assets to move into the top five recently, he didn’t rule out drafting a quarterback despite having Ryan Fitzpatrick, Kyle Allen and Taylor Heinicke on the roster in 2021.

Washington did an outstanding job in free agency. The team goes into the draft without a glaring need, except perhaps at linebacker. While Fitzpatrick is the starter for 2021, now could be the perfect time for the Football Team to find their quarterback of the future.

Washington’s defensive players will eventually become expensive to re-sign. Drafting a rookie quarterback could help the team contend while also keeping some of its key defensive pieces like Jonathan Allen and Daron Payne.

In every draft, a talented quarterback seemingly slides down the draft board. While that could be the case in the 2021 NFL draft, Washington would be wise to move up and get its guy instead of waiting until day two or three to pick a developmental quarterback.

Perhaps Rivera and his coaching staff don’t see a player worth moving up for. However, if they do, this is the perfect time for Washington to be aggressive in landing its future quarterback.