Will Atlanta Falcons Swap Draft Picks with Minnesota Vikings for Tampering?

The Atlanta Falcons could be forced to give up their No. 8 overall pick in the NFL Draft as punishment for allegedly tampering with Kirk Cousins.

Could the Atlanta Falcons receive their punishment for the alleged tampering infraction they committed before officially signing quarterback Kirk Cousins before the NFL Draft? 

After Cousins' comments during his introductory press conference, where he accidentally let slip that he had contact with members of the Falcons' front office and medical staff, the NFL has opened an investigation into the allegations. With the draft two weeks out, the NFL could be trying to hand out their punishment sooner rather than later. 

If the league office completes its investigation and finds that the Falcons did “tamper” with Cousins, a potential punishment could see Atlanta swap their No. 8 overall pick with the Minnesota Vikings’ No. 11, as Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio suggested.

“The Falcons have the eighth pick in round one. The Vikings have the eleventh,” Florio writes. “What if the punishment is as simple as the Falcons and Vikings flip-flopping the two picks? …

“The end result could, and perhaps should, be that the Vikings will have the eighth and 23rd picks. Which makes their potential effort to trade up into the top five a little easier. Or maybe they’ll just stay put at eight and wait for a quarterback they like to fall to them.”

Dec 24, 2023; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins (8) looks on / Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports

As Mike Florio pointed out, a pick swap wouldn’t be unprecedented in the NFL as a punishment for tampering. Last year, the Arizona Cardinals were compelled to swap with the Philadelphia Eagles for tampering with their hiring of then-defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon as their coach. However, the punishment for tampering with Gannon was a swap of third-round picks, which was less severe than what the Falcons could potentially face. 

A swap of first-round picks could be much more significant for both the Falcons and Vikings. If the latter are fully committed to trying to trade up into or around the top 5, then they should have the Falcons’ No. 8 pick, which could make it a little easier for them to do so. 

As for Atlanta, as things currently stand in the draft order, the Falcons are likely to be the first team to take a defensive player. However, that may not be the case if they are forced to move down to No. 11.