The NFL world was taken aback yesterday when New York Giants star defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence II made his trade request public. With the clock ticking until the 2026 NFL Draft, this is a storyline to watch, but I wouldn't count on the Atlanta Falcons being players for the 28-year-old at all.
I'd be shocked if Ian Cunningham were to part with more draft capital, especially 2027 picks, to acquire a player who had a down year. Oh and let me remind you, Sexy Dexy is vying for a new contract extension, and paying him $35 million a year when you have Bijan Robinson and Drake London to extend is a bad look.
However, the Lawrence trade saga does affect the Falcons in some capacity. Assuming the Giants are able to part with the three-time Pro Bowler before the draft, addressing defensive tackle in his absence will become paramount, especially with the hoard of DTs who should be available on Day 2.
The New York Giants are challenging the Atlanta Falcons' pursuit of Day 2 DTs
The Falcons have been pretty heavily linked to three different Day 2 defensive linemen: Georgia's Christen Miller, Texas Tech's Lee Hunter, and Florida's Caleb Banks. Any one of them falling to 48 and being the pick would be a dream scenario for a team who struggled against the run, but the difficult part is out of their control.
As things stand, the Giants' second-round pick is 37th overall, 11 spots before Atlanta makes their first selection at 48. Assuming they trade Lawrence, DT will skyrocket up their list of draft needs, and could be a position Joe Schoen seriously considers taking with that pick, which includes that trio.
Miller has been mocked by some as high as the late first round, but others see a path where he's available for Atlanta in the middle of the second round. New York already had him in the building for a 30 visit, so with the way John Harbaugh wants to build the trenches, he or Hunter could be their Lawrence replacement at 37.
Hunter is a massive human being, Banks is a first round talent falling down the board due to medicals, and Miller is the local guy. Frankly, any of these guys would be perfect for a Falcons' team looking to get more dominant in the trenches, but pickiness is not a luxury they can afford in the 2026 draft.
With them only having five picks and no first-rounder, the Dirty Birds badly need the draft board to swing in their favor if they want to come away with another strong draft class. But unfortunately, the more the Dexter Lawrence rumor mill swirls, the less likely it is one of these guys lands in Atlanta.