Should the Atlanta Falcons Consider Trading Up?
By Sam Kweon
Nov 22, 2014; Lincoln, NE, USA; Nebraska Cornhuskers defender Randy Gregory (4) sacks Minnesota Golden Gophers quarterback Mitch Leidner (7) in the first half at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Thorson-USA TODAY Sports
The Atlanta Falcons are in an interesting position right now. Think of it as a “we’ll take what we can get” kind of state.
They obviously need a pass rusher, but with every draft comes with a limited amount of those elite pass rushers. And as of right now, these are the three elite pass-rushers coming into the draft. They are:
- OLB/DE Randy Gregory
- DE Shane Ray
- OLB/DE Dante Fowler Jr.
First of all, consider this article a pre-combine edition. There are many things that could change, such as Vic Beasley performing out of his mind which will add another player into this discussion. Or maybe Fowler Jr. will fail to impress during the combine, which will also change everything. But for right now, this is a serious problem that is lingering in the air.
But the thing is, what if those three players listed above are drafted before the Atlanta Falcons have a chance to pick?
Well this was the case of Daniel Jeremiah’s mock draft on NFL.com, and he had the Falcons picking up WR Amari Cooper. And Charles Davis was in the same position, but he had the team settling with Vic Beasley.
So the question is, should the Atlanta Falcons trade up? These next few slides will give you reasons why they should but also why they shouldn’t. But the first thing to consider is, how far should they go up from the 8th pick?
Next: How Far Should the Atlanta Falcons Go Up?