George to Be No. 1 Pick in Draft, Falcons Say

The Atlanta Falcons have decided to make Illinois quarterback Jeff George the No. 1 pick in the NFL draft, unless a major trade presents itself.

“We’ve seen him. We like him. We think he’s the best choice,” Falcons vice president for player personnel Ken Herock said Monday. “Unless someone comes up with a blockbuster offer, he’s the pick.”

Herock would not say if he plans to trade George or incumbent quarterback Chris Miller.

“Apparently, they feel he’s the best player in the draft,” Miller said. “But sometimes you draft a quarterback to develop him, and sometimes you draft a quarterback to do something else with him, like trade him.

“I’m not concerned or upset about it.”

“Our goal now,” Herock said, “is to try to sign him to a contract. . . . I don’t even know if we’d trade the pick now.”

George, a junior who would bypass his senior year, said he is waiting to hear from his agent about plans to go to Atlanta for contract talks. The Falcons, with the No. 1 pick, can begin talks with a player before the April 22 draft.

Meanwhile, The Atlanta Constitution reported today that Alabama linebacker Keith McCants, once considered the likely top pick in the National Football League draft, has a knee problem that is causing NFL clubs some concern.

The problem apparently surfaced at an NFL scouting session in Indianapolis on Friday.

“From what our doctors have heard out of Indy, there seemed to be some general looseness in the knee,” an AFC general manager, who would not be identified by name, told the newspaper.

The newspaper said two NFL personnel directors confirmed the report.