NFL Draft 2015: Should the Falcons move down in the first round?

It's pretty obvious the Falcons are going to prioritize a pass rusher at #8, but what if they don't make the obvious move?

That's what Knox Bardeen at FOX Sports wrote about yesterday, and while some of the scenarios he proposes are borderline insane (think Todd Gurley at #8, because that is the Rasputin of draft suggestions), others are very much worth considering.

Penned 6 ways #Falcons can pass on a pass-rusher at No. 8. Trading back to the Eagles is No. 4 -- http://t.co/mZe84bRyDQ

— Knox Bardeen (@knoxbardeen) April 16, 2015

What if the Falcons do trade down? There are reasonable arguments for doing so, even if the team has never done so while Thomas Dimitroff held some measure of power in Atlanta. You could target a player like Gurley later and pick up an additional pick that would help you acquire a second-tier pass rusher later, or you could take a shot on multiple secnod-tier pass rushers. If the question is simply "should the Falcons consider a move down," the answer would be yes unless their top couple of choices make it to the eighth pick. Because the question is should they, I have to go with no, because I'm one of those guys who believes Bud Dupree will be available at #8 at the very least, and that he would be a terrific option for this Falcons team.

But this is a team that still has real holes, and even with a full complement of picks and an additional seventh rounder, their chances of filling them all with quality rookies is slim. Trading back this year, with a new coach trying to remake a team and particularly a defense, makes about as much sense as it has ever made. In past years I've ruled it out entirely, but this year, I'm at least mulling the outcome.

Ultimately, though, I think the draft would have to shake out in a particularly bad way for the Falcons to strongly consider moving down. You don't have too many opportunities to draft in the top ten in a class that has so many options at your greatest position of need, and the Falcons can and should take advantage of that. If the team has Randy Gregory, Vic Beasley, Bud Dupree or maybe even (cringe) Shane Ray on the board when they choose, that's my best guess for their course of action.

How about you?