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Falcons' No. 215 pick predicted as QB to battle Tua Tagovailoa, Michael Penix

The Atlanta Falcons don't have a surefire, no-doubt answer at the quarterback position.

And so even though the room is crowded with Tua Tagovailoa and Michael Penix Jr., maybe there's still room for one more QB.

The top of the 2026 NFL Draft class isn't crowded with quarterbacks. But in the later rounds, there are some intriguing fliers.

Luke Altmyer from Illinois fits that bill, and ESPN's Ben Solak thinks he'd be a "perfect fit" for the Falcons with the 215th pick (sixth round).

"Altmyer isn't lacking for physical talent. He has a zippy release and highly reliable accuracy in the quick game and on RPOs," Solak writes. "Throwing on the move doesn't impact his accuracy much, and he is an efficient scrambler (66.7% success rate last season). Most importantly, Altmyer is tough as nails. He will take a brutal shot to get a throw off or put his shoulder down to make the first-down marker. He makes his best plays on late downs or in the final quarter. Of course, that willingness to hold the ball leads to a worryingly high sack rate, which will limit his ceiling in the NFL."

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Solak compares Altmyer's skillset to Dillon Gabriel, who the Cleveland Browns drafted in the third round last year for head coach Kevin Stefanski -- who is now the head coach in Atlanta.

"The Falcons don't need to add a QB3, of course," Solak writes. "But Altmyer is a stylistic fit, and any team with as open a competition as Atlanta's is a candidate to add a quarterback to the room."

Behind Tagovailoa and Penix right now is just Trevor Siemian. He's not crucial to keep around, so if there's a late-round QB to take a chance on, it could be a worthwhile move for the Falcons.

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