NFL rumors: 5 teams that should trade up to No. 1, and who they should draft
By John Buhler
Pick Analysis. NFC. South. 44. Scouting Report. Atlanta Falcons. 8. player
NFL rumors: Atlanta Falcons are a sneaky dark-horse contender to move up to No. 1 overall
No. No, no, no, no, no! This is not about the Atlanta Falcons trading up from No. 8 to draft a franchise quarterback. Even if Desmond Ridder does not work out, he has earned the right to see if he can be the guy for the 2023 NFL season. Atlanta is finally out of salary cap hell, so let’s not waste precious financial resources on Lamar Jackson or take a franchise quarterback … this spring.
While everyone not in the know wants to put Jackson onto Falcons because square pegs belong in round holes apparently, I can understand why this narrative exists. However, I think if Atlanta were to move up seven spots, it would be to get a hall-of-fame level talent to put in the front-seven of their defense. Think about adding a playmaker who gets to grow and learn alongside Grady Jarrett.
Given how bad the NFC South is, Atlanta can technically afford to move up like it did for Julio Jones.
You can’t go wrong with either Will Anderson Jr. or Jalen Carter as the No. 1 pick
Look. This isn’t happening, but what if it did? We are talking about the Dirty Birds getting either the next Derrick Thomas or the next Fletcher Cox on their defense. One of these two guys will end up in Canton, possibly both, so it serves a team that cannot generate a pass rush for the life of it to actively pursue trading up to draft either fail-proof prospect. Flip a coin and select either player.
Carter may be more popular in-state because he was the best player on last year’s national championship team. Passing on him for Anderson could be seen as controversial, but the Alabama pass-rusher is actually from Georgia. Imagine the Falcons drafting and developing John Abraham. Anderson would solve the one thing that has killed the Falcons defensively for nearly two decades.
Atlanta is not moving up to No. 1, but the idea of landing Anderson or Carter would be incredible.