The Atlanta Falcons decided they wanted to add some versatility to their defensive line so they went and got former Clemson Tiger Ruke Orhorhoro.
It cost them a massive drop down the draft board to land the high-upside defender. They sent the Arizona Cardinals their 43rd pick and 79th pick in exchange for the 35th pick and the 186th pick. Essentially they traded down 107 spots to trade up eight spots in the second round.
If you were tuned into the NFL Draft then you saw all of the action that took place on day two. Teams were moving all over the board, many targeting defensive tackles.
This gives us a comparison of how much the Falcons gave up compared to other teams around them. While you can look at the draft pick value chart, every draft holds different value so comparing them to similar scenarios is a more accurate representation.
Comparing the Falcons' second-round trade to other teams
To start, let's take a look at the first five trades that happened in the second round on Friday night. These five trades all came within the span of seven picks and each trade is pretty unique.
- Patriots trade No. 34, No. 137 to Chargers for No. 37, No. 110
- Cardinals trade No. 35, No. 186 to Falcons for No. 43, No. 79
- Panthers trade No. 39 to Rams for No. 52, No. 155, second-round pick 2025
- Commanders trade No. 40, No. 78, No. 152 to Eagles for No. 50, No. 53, No. 161
- Packers trade No. 41 to Saints for No. 45, No. 68, No. 190
The trade that is closest with the Falcons is the Patriots and Chargers trade. The Chargers traded up 3 spots while trading down 27 spots from No. 110 to No. 137. On the next pick, the Falcons traded up 8 spots while trading down 107 spots from No. 79 to No. 186. No doubt, the Chargers got the better deal in their trade-up. They went down just 27 spots from No. 110 while the Falcons went down 107 spots from No. 79.
However, once you get past that, things look much better for Terry Fontenot and the Atlanta Falcons.
Unfortunately, their division rivals benefitted from an overpay by Les Snead and the LA Rams. The Rams send off No. 155 and a second-round pick to trade up 13 spots with the Carolina Panthers. Yikes, even with it being a pick in next year's draft, that is a lot to give up to gain just 13 spots in positioning in the second round.
The NFC East trade between the Eagles and Commanders is hard to compare. The Eagles went up ten spots while dropping 25 spots from No. 53 to No. 78 but they gained nine spots later in the draft by going from No. 161 to No. 152. To gain ten spots in positioning in the second round and nine in the later rounds while only having to surrender 25 spots from No. 53 is not too bad of a deal.
As for the last of the five trades, this one is as the cost of the worst team on the planet—the New Orleans Saints. To gain just four spots in the second round (No. 45 to No. 41) the Saints gave up No. 68 and No. 190. In my opinion, that is an overpay since you are now down two picks with a roster that needs young talent more than anything.
All in all, the Falcons could have done a lot worse. In my opinion, their trade sits in the middle of the pack. I think the Eagles and Chargers pulled off better deals in their trade ups but the Rams and Saints significantly overpaid. While I would have liked to have seen a less severe drop-off in positioning, they didn't have to lose anything in the quantity of picks.