2021 NFL Draft: Five teams that could trade down in the first round
By Kyle Edmond
Atlanta Falcons
Should one of the desired quarterbacks fall to the Atlanta Falcons, they will have to make a decision on what they foresee as the future of their franchise and the path they want to take. The Falcons are just a few plays away from a totally different season, so blowing the team up might not be what the front office wants to do.
Matt Ryan and Julio Jones are still the core of this team with Calvin Ridley quickly emerging. Ryan’s contract could make it difficult to trade him, meaning that the Falcons could stick with Ryan for now and try to improve the roster around him.
One way to do that is to trade down. Like the Giants, the Falcons’ phone could be ringing continuously if there is still one of the top quarterbacks on the board when their pick rolls around. For a team like Atlanta that needs multiple players on the defensive side of the ball, they could add a lot of assets in one trade that would go a long way in rebuilding the weak points of the team.
While fans might want to see a young star come in with new energy, that might not be the direction this team goes this offseason.