A couple of days ago, Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated listed the Falcons as one of three teams looking to move up in the draft, although he was not sure exactly who they were targeting.
Now, this could be a smokescreen by Thomas Dimitroff, who just yesterday told Adam Schefter that they have yet to have discussions with any team regarding a trade up the board.
Dimitroff told Schefter he has not had any real trade talks of moving up as this point after he used calling Jacksonville’s David Caldwell as a “for instance” in talking about trade talks. Jaguars at No. 9 and Falcons at No. 16, and Dimitroff and Caldwell are buddies.
— vaughn mcclure (@vxmcclure23) April 14, 2020
We will see in eight days if Dimitroff was telling Schefter the truth, but at least the idea of the Falcons moving up is gaining some more traction. Ian Rapoport of The NFL Network tweeted out this morning that several teams are already assuming Atlanta will be trading up in their virtual mock drafts, and the Falcons have met with a ton of prospects who are unlikely to be there when they pick at 16.
One team that appears poised to make some noise with a move up is the #Falcons. They have spent a lot of times evaluating and talking to players who figure to be gone by No. 16… and when other teams do their projections, they believe Atlanta will be on the move.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) April 15, 2020
There are several players the Falcons could be targeting. Javon Kinlaw would help solidify their defensive line, but he figures to be gone a few picks before they select. Or perhaps Atlanta is eyeing a player that would help them patch up their most significant need — cornerback. Many believe C.J. Henderson will be the second corner off the board, and the Falcons might have fallen in love with the Florida product while scouting him. Some think Henderson will be available at 16, but there are a couple of CB needy teams ahead of Atlanta, and Thomas Dimitroff has never been hesitant to pull the trigger.
However, with all the needs the Falcons have heading into this draft, I would not expect a blockbuster Julio Jones-type trade well into the top ten. They need a cornerback, still have to address their pass rush even after the signing of Dante Fowler Jr., could use another interior defensive and offensive lineman, and a linebacker. Giving up a multitude of picks doesn’t seem like a wise option, but the Falcons have never been an organization that operates on much common sense.
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