There is no way around the fact that the Falcons paid top dollar to move up in Thursday's first round. Not only did the Falcons give up a 2026 first-round pick, but the Falcons paid top dollar to move up in Thursday's first round. The team would be forced to part ways with their 2025 second-round selection as well. We now have this piece of the puzzle after the second and third rounds of the 2025 NFL Draft were completed on Friday night.
Los Angeles used Atlanta's second-round pick to select tight end Terrance Ferguson. It is a solid selection that will help veteran quarterback Matthew Stafford and aid the team's push for one more title with the aging veteran. This is a bit easier for Atlanta fans to accept than if the pick had been pass rusher Mike Green or corner Will Johnson. The Rams selecting a player that wouldn't fit in Atlanta makes the move a bit easier to accept.
Atlanta's first-round trade will continue to catch criticism despite the team's needed desperation
While it is easy to raise an eyebrow at a team spending a 2026 first-rounder, it is a move that has a reasonable explanation. Atlanta's GM Terry Fontenot believes this is the time to make a push to contend. After bad misses in the trade and free agent markets, Atlanta's front office is under pressure for the team to return to the playoffs for the first time since the 2017 season.
This creates a level of desperation that requires Atlanta to make risky moves to fix a failing defense. Drafting Jalon Walker and moving back into the first round for James Pearce Jr. qualifies. It gives Atlanta's defense the ceiling to turn the corner and challenge Tampa Bay for the NFC South. If Michael Penix Jr. is the answer at quarterback the franchise believes him to be, Atlanta is now a playoff team, and this draft gamble will be viewed as a win for both sides.
If, however, the team continues to have 7-8 win seasons and fall a step short of the playoffs, this is a deal that will demand that GM Terry Fontenot is shown the door.