Falcons acquire former first-round pick from Miami Dolphins

What role will defensive end Charles Harris have with the Atlanta Falcons?

NFL.com projected this week the Atlanta Falcons will receive three compensatory picks in the 2021 NFL Draft due to this year's free agency. Those extra picks won't technically be rewarded until after this season's Super Bowl, but that doesn't mean they can't impact Atlanta's roster strategy before that.

In fact, they may already have. The Falcons agreed to trade a seventh-round pick to the Miami Dolphins on Friday morning in exchange for defensive end and former first-round pick Charles Harris according to multiple reports.

The #Falcons are sending a seventh-round pick to the #Dolphins for DE Charles Harris, per source.

That’s two former first-round picks Miami has moved on from in the past 24 hours: Taco Charlton cut yesterday, now Harris traded.

— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) May 1, 2020

The fourth-year defensive end was the No. 22 overall selection in the 2017 NFL Draft, but he was a major bust with the Dolphins. In three years, he started just eight games and posted a measly 3.5 sacks. He also had 61 combined tackles, 10 tackles for loss, and 23 quarterback hits in 41 contests.

The Dolphins selected Harris four picks before the Falcons chose Takk McKinley. This week, Atlanta elected not to opt into McKinley's fifth year, which means he will be a free agent at the end of this season.

McKinley hasn't earned that second contract yet, but he's had a much better career than Harris has. The Falcons are hoping the combination of both Harris and McKinley, along with a couple of additions through the draft, can help Atlanta generate a pass rush in 2020.

The Falcons were tied for second-to-last in sacks last year with 28. Ironically, the Dolphins were last with 23.

Harris is a reclamation project, but it isn't a bad thing to take a flier on one of those players with the cost only being a seventh-round pick. The Falcons now have 10 defensive ends on their active roster.