Atlanta Falcons: Possible trade down candidates for 2021 NFL Draft
By Matt Siegman
Possible Trade Down Candidates for the Atlanta Falcons with the No. 4 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft
Many fans are suggesting the Atlanta Falcons should trade down because the board is not in their favor in an offensive heavy draft.
With any draft, there must be a player available teams are going to want to move up for. At No. 4 overall, teams will not trade up for a quarterback because they’ll likely be looking for that No. 2 or No. 3 spot.
The teams that are going to trade up with the Atlanta Falcons are going to be the ones in the market for a left tackle. The Bengals are currently picking at No. 5 overall- one spot behind the Falcons.
The Bengals’ biggest need is the offensive line so the Atlanta Falcons will be able to use this as leverage in trade talks. As of right now, the top two tackles are Penei Sewell and Rashawn Slater.
After the Bengals, there are three teams that would be in the market for a left tackle that are picking in the top 15. The three teams that will be looking for an offensive tackle in the offseason are the Broncos, Cowboys, and Chargers.
The Broncos will be in the market for an offensive tackle with the future of Ja’Wuan James up in the air. He opt-ed out of the 2020 NFL season and the Broncos can move on from his contract saving a ton of cap space. The Broncos currently have the No. 9 pick in the NFL Draft.
The Broncos could move on from Drew Lock but based on their position in the draft they will likely address quarterback in free agency or trades. They would be a great trade candidate for the Atlanta Falcons.
Several years ago, the Dallas Cowboys once had one of the best offensive lines in football. Unfortunately for them, injuries and retirements have derailed that unit. Tyron Smith is in his 30s and battled several injuries. La’el Collins missed the entire 2020 season.
The Cowboys would be a great trade candidate for the Falcons and might make the offensive line a priority after Dak Prescott’s injury. Dallas currently has the tenth pick in the NFL Draft.
The last possible trade candidate for the Atlanta Falcons is the Los Angeles Chargers, who currently have the thirteenth overall pick. This might be a far jump for the Falcons, but they would receive a lot more compensation trading down this far.
The Los Angeles Chargers have a good offensive line when healthy they are just missing that franchise left tackle to complete the offensive line. The Chargers did fire Anthony Lynn, but they kept general manager Tom Telesco.
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Last season, the Chargers traded up 14 spots to draft Kenneth Murray, so they are not shy for trading up. The Atlanta Falcons draft strategy will depend on the new regime, but those three teams are the most likely candidates if the Atlanta Falcons wanted to trade down.