Should Atlanta Falcons Trade Down From The No. 6 Pick?

Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports

Trading down in the draft is never a popular move. It means you end up taking someone with less name recognition, someone that your fans aren’t going to get terribly excited about. It’s never a move that wins you brownie points, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t sometimes the best move to make.

The Atlanta Falcons sit at an awkward position in the draft this year with the 6th overall pick. They aren’t high enough to get one of the top two or three guys, but they still have a pick that should get them an impact-type player. The problem is, there might not be an impact guy there for them to take.

Instead, they could look to trade down from the pick and get some value. Say they trade down to the middle or late part of the first round, and get themselves and extra third or even second rounder, depending on how far they move back.

That trade would give them an extra pick in a valuable round, but it would all depend on who they think they can get if they move back.

I think trading down only makes sense if the Falcons decide they aren’t going to take a pass rusher in the first round. If, instead of bolstering the defensive line, they elect to go offensive line, they could still get a good offensive lineman later in the first round and use the additional pick to fill other needs.

Quality offensive lineman, especially interior lineman, can be found in the late first round. The good pass rushers never last, so if Atlanta is sold on taking one they can’t get cute and try to trade down. But, if they want to go with an offensive lineman, and they like someone they think will be where they move back to, they could really make a solid move with a trade.