Atlanta Falcons could be moving into the Top 10 of NFL Draft

The Atlanta Falcons are being rumored to trade into the Top 8 in order to draft Ohio State’s Jeff Okudah, he is considered the top corner in this draft.

The question becomes, what is too steep for the Atlanta Falcons to make that trade?

Should the Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff identify and execute a move into the Top 10, for any player, they have to be sure that this is the most impactful player in the draft at a position of need. Sure, Jeff Okudah is good as are Derrick Brown and Javon Kinlaw, but are any of them going to be worth not having a second-round pick and more than likely moving back in the third or fourth round?

Also, are any of these players worth potentially giving up a pick in next year’s draft? We all know NFL general managers aren’t simply looking for a swap of picks, they want to gain something also. The answer is no, players in this draft are not worth that type of risk.

None of these players is a Julio Jones type playmaker on defense. It would be one thing if you could guarantee that Okudah is the next elite shutdown corner in the league or that Brown and Kinlaw are the next Grady Jarrett, but again, there is no proof of that.

In Jeff Okudah’s case, his last game was against the best passing offense he faced in college and Clemson’s Tee Higgins made a fool of him in the Fiesta Bowl. Sure, Okudah was a shutdown corner in the Big Ten, but how many elite offenses and elite receivers did he face week in and week out? The answer is not many.

Truth is, Okudah is the safest corner in this draft with the most upside, but given the position the Atlanta Falcons are in, you cannot trade your draft away for the safest player, you need an immediate impact player. If that guy is not in this draft, then why not trade back and add depth around what you already have.

Dimitroff has already been on record stating that he thought this draft was deep at positions the Falcons need to address. If he truly believes that, then trading up and giving away picks for a safe player, is the wrong move to make.

Regardless, given the last two seasons, whatever move the Atlanta Falcons make next week, let’s all hope that it is the right move and one that gets this team back to the playoffs and in contention.