Atlanta Falcons first round approach remains a mystery

With the addition of Jeff Okudah and the lack of a secondary pass rusher, the Atlanta Falcons first-round target seemed obvious. Despite the Bijan Robinson speculation the Falcons taking Nolan Smith or Myles Murphy seemed the obvious move unless Jalen Carter fell their way.

While this could still be the case the signing of Bud Dupree just further changes the perspective on who the Falcons could be targeting. The Falcons now have a roster they can move into the season with and have reason to feel they can win 9-10 games before making any additions in the draft.

This speaks to the job Terry Fontenot has done this off-season and just how wide-open Atlanta's selection is on draft night. The Falcons trading down seems to be an even more enticing option if there is a team willing to trade up and one of the four quarterbacks falls Atlanta's way.

With Hughes, Hayward, and Okudah all on short-term deals, the Falcons could still opt to take a corner despite having great depth at the position. The same could be said of Atlanta's defensive line despite impressive depth the Falcons have a lot of veterans on short-term deals they will have to replace or re-sign.

There is also the chance the Falcons reach for a running back or receiver this is especially true if the team were to trade down. The most obvious fit is the aforementioned Robinson who would be a mistake on day one though an enticing one considering Arthur Smith's offense.

Atlanta's off-season has put the team in a perfect position one the team can use to make the more predictable moves of adding a player like Nolan Smith or Christian Gonzalez.

No question that This Atlanta signing Dupree further shades what the team prefers to do in the first round. A question we are unlikely to have the answer to until Atlanta's number is called.