KANSAS CITY, Mo. — For football fans, the NFL Draft is a lot like Christmas morning.
Fans will gather around their TVs, while thousands will pile into Kansas City, all in anticipation of which players will be announced to their favorite teams over the course of a three-day, seven-round draft.
Atlanta Falcons fans certainly have good reason to have high hopes about the upcoming season. They have made a flurry of offseason transactions, resigned some of their core players, and will soon welcome back star tight end Kyle Pitts from injury.
But all eyes are on what they will do on draft night with the 8th overall pick.
Taking a look at a few first round options
RB Bijan Robinson - University of Texas
Let's start with a popular pick that is trending as a possibility for the Falcons as of late. The star-studded running back has shot up over draft boards in recent weeks and is widely considered the best overall back in this year's draft.
Hired in 2021, Falcons General Manager Terry Fontenot has gone skill-position players in each of his first two drafts with the team's first round selection. First Kyle Pitts, then Drake London, don't be surprised if Fontenot takes Robinson based on those trends to continue to give expected first-year starter Desmond Ridder even more options.
DL Jalen Carter - University of Georgia
It's tough to evaluate where Carter might go in Thursday night's first round. Based on talent alone, he's worthy of being the first overall pick. But somewhat of a sloppy showing at UGA's Pro Day and a recent arrest for street racing tied to a deadly crash have put his draft stock in limbo.
If he were to fall to Atlanta at No. 8, it'd be hard-pressed to imagine their being many better options based on talent alone. The Falcons bolstered their D-line with the signings of Calais Campbell and David Onyemata. Being able to learn from the veteran Campbell for at least a year would provide a lot of value if the Falcons opt to take Carter -- if he even makes it.
OL Peter Skoronski - Northwestern University
It's not exactly clear where Skoronski projects to play at the next level, but having the flexibility to play inside or out may be the reason the Falcons would love to take the highly-talented lineman.
Atlanta already extended former first rounders Chris Lindstrom and Caleb McGary this offseason and adding another potential elite guy up front could make Arthur Smith's running game even more of a nightmare for opposing defenses.
EDGE Tyree Wilson - Texas Tech University
Wilson has freakish athleticism and would provide the Falcons a dangerous edge rusher to put pressure on opposing quarterbacks. He's also a guy that's been mocked at No. 2 overall to the Texans. But there's a solid chance they take either a QB or Will Anderson Jr. there and Wilson slides to eight.
Atlanta ranked 31st last season in team pressure rate, and frankly it's been a problem for the Falcons the last number of years. Wilson is raw, but has the chance to make a real impact.
LB Nolan Smith - University of Georgia
Some may say this would be a reach at No. 8. But let's not forget that if Smith hadn't gotten injured, there's a very real chance he'd be a consensus top five pick in this draft. He's a high-character, high-energy player with the leadership skills that are ready to command a defense.
Not to mention, his skillsets are flat out ridiculous. If you take a look at the Falcons new and improved defense, linebacker is still very much a need for this team. The current starters project to be Arnold Ebiketie, Mykal Walker, Lorenzo Carter and newly-signed Kaden Elliss. Smith would be an impact starter instantly for the Falcons.
Trade up and select a QB
This seems like the least-likely of possibilities, but with the right trade package the Falcons could potentially slide up and snag the quarterback of their future. It seems the trust in Ridder is currently there, but with the chance to get a player with the caliber of talent that C.J. Stroud has, the Falcons would be over the moon to get him if the right situation presents itself.
Trade back and gain more picks
It's unsure who the Falcons may target if they trade back, as it all depends on how the flow of the first round goes, but they could gather more picks in the second and third rounds and trade back a few spots to still get a guy they like.
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Will the Falcons call one of these names? Will they make a draft-day trade? Only time will tell who the Dirty Birds will select as the NFL Draft kicks off Thursday night with the highly-anticipated first round.
The NFL Draft begins at 8 p.m. and will be televised on ESPN. You can follow along for live picks all night long by visiting the link here.