In the lead-up to the 2024 NFL Draft, Falcons fans are nearly unified in their desire to bolster the pass rush with Atlanta’s first-round pick. Fans also believe the team is likely to trade down.
Draft Eve is here, with the 2024 NFL Draft officially kicking off on Thursday and continuing through Saturday. Be sure to join our crew on all three days of the draft for our Falcons Draft Party, now celebrating our eighth straight year of coverage! Before we get to the draft itself, we asked Falcons fans for their final thoughts on which position group Atlanta should target in the first round, and whether or not they believe the team will trade down from the eighth overall pick.
Unsurprisingly, fans were pretty unified in their desire to address the perpetual pass rush deficiency in Atlanta.
An overwhelming 76% of Falcons fans want the team to target edge rusher with their first pick—whether that’s at 8, or somewhere lower on the board. That lines up well with my expectations, as I recently sent UCLA’s Laiatu Latu and Alabama’s Dallas Turner to the Falcons in my final mock drafts. There’s no doubt that Atlanta has a serious need at the position, the question is whether or not the Falcons view any of the edge rushers in this class as worthy of the eighth overall pick.
We’ve heard plenty of buzz that Atlanta is also interested in the top cornerbacks available in this class, like Toledo’s Quinyon Mitchell and Alabama’s Terrion Arnold, as well as Texas defensive tackle Byron Murphy II. There’s also the team’s interest in Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr. to consider.
In my estimation, it’s unlikely that either Latu or Turner would be “best player available” at 8—but could easily be after a trade down into the early teens. Which Falcons fans also have some thoughts about.
A clear majority of Falcons fans believe that Atlanta will trade down from the eighth overall pick—66% in total. Even more than that, 52% of fans think that trade will be into the early teens. That also lines up with my personal expectations, as I think the team’s best trade partners are likely the New York Jets (10th overall), whoever trades back with the Minnesota Vikings (11th), the Denver Broncos (12th), and the Las Vegas Raiders (13th).
While I wouldn’t rule out a trade to 15 with the Indianapolis Colts, the Jacksonville Jaguars (17th), or Los Angeles Rams (19th)—like I did in the SB Nation Writers’ Mock—those are a bit more risky for the Falcons. The best way for Atlanta to pick up additional Day 2 picks and/or future draft capital while still having a strong chance at securing their edge rusher of choice is to go no lower than 13.
With Fontenot confirming that plenty of teams have interest in the eighth overall pick, we’ll all be waiting in suspense to see which prospects wind up falling to Atlanta’s selection. Whether we see the third receiver, OT Joe Alt, or one of the top-4 quarterbacks slip to 8, the Falcons should have plenty of suitors. It’ll come down to if the offers are good enough to convince Atlanta to move off their spot. This year, more than any year in the past, I think that will ultimately be the case.
What are your thoughts on Atlanta’s top draft targets, and the team’s potential to trade down from the eighth overall pick?
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