The Falcons are one of the more intriguing teams leading up to the draft. They own the 8th pick for the third consecutive season, but their needs don’t exactly line up with the value that could potentially be available when they are on the clock.
By all accounts, this is an offensive heavy draft class. There may not be a defensive player worthy of a top 10 draft pick, which is a bit unfortunate for the Falcons, who have glaring needs off the edge and at cornerback. Perhaps one of the defenders has caught their eye more than most, or maybe Terry Fontenot sticks with his best player available approach and takes another offensive player in the top 10 for the fourth year in a row.
However, this does feel like the perfect storm for the Falcons to at least consider moving back in the draft and accumulating more capital. Terry Fontenot said in a press conference Tuesday that he’s already fielded a ton of calls regarding the Falcons pick, and according to NFL insider Daniel Jeremiah, many of those teams are looking to move up and draft an offensive tackle.
As Alex recently pointed out, there are at least seven teams picking behind the Falcons that have a need for an offensive tackle. There are several more that could be interested in one of the top three wide receivers that fall to the Falcons pick, and quarterback-needy organizations might also be looking to make a move up the board.
It’s a bit discouraging that there isn’t a clear-cut defensive star in this draft that would be a no-brainer for the Falcons, but it could turn out to work in their favor. With all of the teams behind them attempting to move up, it just might create a bidding war, allowing the Falcons to trade back for a haul of picks while still taking one of the top defensive players later in the first round.
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