Atlanta Falcons 2017 NFL Draft: The Cost of Trading Up

What exactly would if cost for the Atlanta Falcons to move up from the 31st pick in the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft, and is it worth it?

Much has been made lately of the Falcons’ willingness/desire to move up in the first round. This would apparently be to ensure the selection of either Western Kentucky offensive lineman Forrest Lamp, or an edge rusher they are particularly enamored with. The Dolphins have the 22nd pick of the draft and have also been closely tied to Lamp and edge rushers, so for the sake of this article, let’s assume Atlanta would have to move up to at least the 21st pick, which belongs to the Lions, to ensure themselves of getting the guy they want.

So what would such a trade cost the Falcons?

Well, according to this chart, the 21st pick of the draft is worth 800 points. The Falcons first-rounder, number 31 overall, is worth 600 points. To make the trade more or less even, one of these scenarios would have to happen:

– Atlanta gets number 21 (800 points) in exchange for number 31 (600 points), number 95 (their 3rd-rounder, worth 120 points), number136 (their 4th-rounder, worth 37.5 points), and number174 (their 5th-rounder, worth 21.4 points).

– Atlanta gets pick 21 (800 points), 125 (the Lions’ 4th-rounder, worth 65 points), and 165 (the Lions 5th-rounder, worth 25 points) in exchange for selection 31 (600 points) and 63 (Atlanta’s 2nd rounder, worth 276 points).

I’m honestly not a fan of either option. With the first option the Falcons get to keep their second round pick, but then don’t pick again until the seventh round (barring a trade down out of the second round to acquire an extra pick or two). That leaves them with only three picks for the entire draft. They may very well be the defending NFC champs, but they have more than three holes to fill (they need a offensive guard, edge rusher, outside linebacker, safety, running back/full back hybrid, and swing tackle).

The second option actually leaves them with more picks overall (seven) than they started with (six), but leaves them without their second round pick. Most of Atlanta’s needs are for depth, but they do need two positions – offensive guard and edge-rusher – to be filled by players who can at least log significant snaps, if not start, and I question if a third-rounder can do that.

Must Read: Atlanta Falcons 2017: Roundtable Mock Draft Fourth Round

If the Atlanta Falcons were to make any kind of trade with their first round pick this year, it’s best if they traded down a bit. Let’s say Lamp is gone by then. Drop in to the top five or top ten of the second round and take Indiana guard Dan Feeney instead, and then use pick 63 on an edge guy (Tarell Basham of Ohio or Tanoh Kpassagnon of Villanova could be available there). Now they’ve gotten their “impact” players, and recouped the pick they were missing from the Andy Levitre trade.