The Falcons were anticipated to select a quarterback with the eighth overall choice in the NFL heading into the offseason. With Kirk Cousins back in the fold, Terry Fontenot is free to do as he pleases.
The general manager of Atlanta is free to trade up for a player like Malik Nabers. The Falcons could choose to choose the top-ranked defense on their big board if he decides to hold steady at No. 8. Furthermore, Fontenot is free to trade back if he believes it would be beneficial.
The quantity of possible suitors who could trade up for the selection is what makes the last option particularly intriguing. The Vikings, who are ranked No. 11, the Broncos, who are ranked No. 12, and the Raiders, who, should J.J. McCarthy slip, are ranked No. 13, are the teams that are obviously in need of a quarterback.
It’s not just the teams that depend on their quarterbacks, though; there are many other possibilities as well. The Bills could join a long list of teams in need of a franchise left tackle or wide receiver if Fontenot auctions off the selection to one of the teams that fall to the Falcons: Joe Alt or Rome Odunze.
Buffalo received the Texans’ 2025 second-round selection on Wednesday in exchange for star wide receiver Stefon Diggs, a 2024 sixth-round pick, and a 2025 fifth-round pick.
The Bills’ receiving core appears weak without Diggs. If a deal can be struck, Terry Fontenot will be trying to do so with precisely this kind of team. Rome Odunze is undeniably a handsome man. Odunze might be the player to force Brandon Beane’s hand if he wants to make a big swing and get Josh Allen another elite pass catcher.
Fontenot could work with more than just Beane since the Falcons are a top trade-back option for any team in need of a wide receiver like Odunze or a left lineman like Alt.
With the No. 10 pick, the Jets are in need of a wide receiver and tackle. Regardless of how uncommon an intra-division deal is, the Saints may be open to trading up from No. 14 in order to acquire a tackle.
The Cowboys (No. 24) and Packers (No. 25) could possibly consider moving up from No. 18 to acquire a tackle, as the Bengals (No. 18) also need one to protect Joe Burrow. The 49ers and Chiefs, who have the final two first-round selections, could potentially move up because they both need tackles and wide receivers.
If Terry Fontenot is dissatisfied with the crop of prospects available to his club when they are playing, the Falcons are in a wonderful position to acquire a large number of draft picks.