Examining the Falcons 1st round options: Trading up

Having a draft pick in the top 5 is actually somewhat rare for the Falcons. The last time it happened was in 2008 in the aftermath of the Michael Vick scandal and the Bobby Petrino disaster of 2007. Having a pick this high gives you a host of options, with the hope being that you won’t be here again for a long while.

In this series, we’ll take a look at all the different ways the Falcons can use this pick to rebuild under a new regime. Today, we consider the option of trading up.

Why it makes sense

Let’s be clear: if the Falcons are going to trade up in this draft class it is to go after one and only one player: Trevor Lawrence. He is the consensus top QB in this class and may be one of the most promising prospects to come out in several years. This would be an incredibly aggressive first move for first-time GM Terry Fontenot, but he’d be anchoring himself (and head coach Arthur Smith) to a young QB with incredible upside. The cost to go from 4 to 1 would still be pretty steep, but there’s no denying that Lawrence may be worth it. The future of the quarterback position would be secured.

Why it might be the wrong move

To be blunt: it will still cost an arm and a leg. You would also be getting rid of a lot of draft capital when you’re inheriting a team that can’t likely be aggressive in free agency and that has quite a few holes to fill on defense, with some aging stars on the offense. Lawrence may be a generational QB, but he can’t play safety, defensive end or left guard all at the same time. It would be one thing if he was the only decent QB available and you didn’t have Matt Ryan, but neither of those things is true. This would be a big bet, but the potential downside could be disastrous for the team in the long run.

What do you think? Would you support trading up if it was an option? Let us know in the comments below.