The Falcons may be looking to move up the draft board. They’ve done lots of homework on players who figure to be gone before their No. 16 pick, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter) hears, and other teams are projecting that they’ll deal for a higher choice. This echoes what we heard earlier this week from Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated, who also reported that the Broncos and Bucs are serious about trading up. 
Of course, this wouldn’t be the first time that the Falcons went all-in for a top prospect. In 2011, GM Thomas Dimitroff moved up to No. 6 for Julio Jones by shipping Nos. 27, 59, 124 and their first- and fourth-round picks in 2012 to the Browns for Julio Jones.
This time around, it’s not exactly clear who the Falcons might be targeting, but they’re likely looking at defenders since they’re well set on offense. Ohio State cornerback Jeff Okudah, who could go as high as No. 3 to the Lions, would make sense after the release of Desmond Trufant. Other corners like Florida’s C.J. Henderson would also fit the bill. Or, if the Falcons want to plug multiple holes on defense, they could turn to versatile Clemson standout Isaiah Simmons.
The first two picks in the draft – belonging to the Bengals and Redskins – are probably unavailable. However, the Lions and Giants – picks Nos. 3 and 4, respectively – could be willing to move down. Depending on who the Falcons want, they could aim lower with a team like the Cardinals at No. 8.
And just for fun, here is a reminder of who the browns used those 5 picks on: DL phil taylor, WR greg little, FB owen marecic and QB brandon weeden. The 5th pick they used to trade up to get RB trent richardson in the next draft. Its harsh enough that julio went on to become a future hall of famer, but to strikeout on every single one of those 5 picks is brutal in its own right
Any way you look at it your rolling the dice. Had Julio been a bust and 3 of those picks produced solid talent then the Falcons would have been the team with egg on their face.
true but the browns were notoriously bad at drafting. some teams are just better sticking with their high pick rather than acquiring volume down the draft
So what you are saying is that of Julio Jones turned out to be a bust and those Browns picks turned out to studs…we would look at the trade differently? Astute observation. Your logic could work on anything ever. If Herschel Walker had taken theVikes to a SB and the picks the Cowboys got back totally sucked, we would look at that trade differently.
bingo
The draft is really one big crap shoot with teams missing just as often as they score at hit. Redskins coach George Allen understood this and always opted to exchange picks for proven veteran talent. His win percentage proves that most of his theories (and he had many bizarre ones) were sound.
Yikes. On the surface, the Browns got a really good return for that pick. The Falcons may have even overpaid. In retrospect, though, it turned out to be an amazing deal for the Falcons. You can chalk it up to the Browns being the Browns, but it just goes to show how much of a crapshoot the draft can be.
Browns received kings ransoms for Mark Sanchez and Julio Jones and squandered it all away.
Alex Mack was part of the Mark Sanchez trade and wound up going to Atlanta as a free agent.
Julio Jones has never been worth all of those picks. Just take the best player available. Thats what the Steelers, Patriots, Packers, Ravens, Seahawks, all the best teams of the last 2 decades do to stay relevant.
Are you kidding me???? Julio wasn’t worth 5 busts?! The man is a legit HOF WR
He’s getting paid 20% of his teams salary cap, limiting their ability to build a competitive defense. WRs are a dime a dozen and expensive ones kill the roster building process.
Yea I think it’s hard to gauge his true value. When u look at it from a market cap, it seems like he isn’t worth it anymore. But truth is, he brings in a ton of revenue that the falcons likely find more valuable than maybe rebuilding a competitive team. I’m not saying they’re right or what the fans want… I’m just trying to wrap my head around all this lol.
that’s not a consideration you make when drafting a rookie.
To be fair. Would the Falcons have taken those scrubs? We know they wouldn’t have taken a QB. No one drafts FBs these days, and they probably would have been used on OL, Edge, or DTs.
It’s not who the Browns chose, it’s who could’ve been selected that makes it an overpay. 2011 could’ve had Cam Jordan, Justin Houston, and Richard Sherman with the 3 picks they gave up. 2012 could’ve gotten you Riley Reiff or David Decastro and Josh Norman. If the Browns would’ve chose 3 of those guys the falcons would look pretty bad. The browns being inept helped the falcons save face.
‘Julio Jones has never been worth all of those picks.’
The Atlanta Falcons and their fanbase would disagree with you. They went to a Super Bowl with him and almost won it and Jones had three TDs in the playoffs.
they made a Superbowl and if not for the greatest collapse in NFL history win one primarily because of him that season.
“They’ve done lots of homework on players who figure to be gone before their No. 16 pick, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter) hears”
Ahhh, he heard they have done their draft homework. Good to know. I thought they were just going to wing it. Maybe it is a throw-away line, but it makes me feel like he is making up the entire story, if he has to add the ‘homework’ thing.
Everyone in FB has a good idea of what they would trade for every draft slot and for every prospect. Even the fans do this.
While you’re right and this made me laugh, I think what he’s trying to say is that they’ve done the extra research on players that figure to be gone by picks 3-10. For example, I’m sure every team has done ‘the homework’ on Chase Young, but probably only Washington, Detroit, Miami, and the Giants have really put in extra research on him.
Wouldn’t make sense for say, Buffalo (no 1st round pick), to really look into Chase Young (or any other projected top 10 pick) if they’ve already decided it would cost too much to move up. I think that’s what Rapoport is saying.
I agree that, for example, the NYGs probably haven’t looked at trading up to get Burrows. But I’d bet the Raiders know exactly what they would give up for the first 11 guys ranked in front of them. Even for the OL, with not a lot of interest, they probably still have a number in mind if Wirfs falls.
Not only that, they likely have the reverse. Maybe they love Lamb, but they still have a number in mind for which they’ll trade back. Even for impossible players like Tua, if he fell to #9, the Raiders will have a number.