With Kirk Cousins in the fold, the Falcons sit in a great position to either draft the best player available, as Terry Fontenot has done in each cycle, or trade out of the No. 8 pick, something Fontenot has never done.
Atlanta’s GM still has some holes to fill on the roster and other housekeeping items before the draft, though. I expect Fontenot to add another EDGE, cornerback, wideout, and safety as well as other depth pieces before the draft. A.J. Terrell’s contract extension and Kyle Pitts’ fifth-year option also need addressing.
Fontenot has a lot to prepare for the in the draft too. Not only will the Falcons have to sift through the prospects to take at the No. 8 pick, but they’ll also have to prepare to potentially move out of that selection as well because quarterback-needy teams could look to move up.
ESPN recently brainstormed some potential draft day trades, centering around the Vikings finding their quarterback of the future. For Atlanta, the deal is quite enticing for Fontenot. Here’s the offer from Minnesota:
No. 8, Atlanta Falcons: The Vikings send Nos. 11 and 23 for Nos. 8 and 79 (third round).
This is a better deal for the Vikings than the one we proposed at No. 7, but of course, this assumes that the pick at No. 7 has already been made and Minnesota’s QB is still on the board. Atlanta would send the Vikings the extra third-rounder it got from Jacksonville in the Calvin Ridley deal, and Minnesota would get to make a pick on Day 2 (it doesn’t have any selections in Rounds 2 or 3).
Two first-round picks in exchange for a first and third would be something I’d be interested in if I were the Falcons. The potential opportunity to grab two Day 1 starters is quite exciting for a Falcons team that wants to compete with Kirk Cousins under center.
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