NFL Draft: Should Falcons Trade Up for Best Pass Rusher?

The Falcons need pass rushing, and Kayvon Thibodeaux is one of the best in the class.

Jeremy Brener | Feb 23, 2022

When the Atlanta Falcons are on the clock with the No. 8 pick in April's NFL Draft they will look into addressing the pass rush, which finished dead last in sacks in 2021.

USATSI_17499106 (1) — Chris Pietsch/The Register Guard

USATSI_17163041 — Chris Pietsch/The Register Guard

However, there is a good chance that the best pass rushers in the draft - Michigan's Aidan Hutchinson and Oregon's Kayvon Thibodeaux - will be off the board by the time the Falcons make their pick.

In Todd McShay's Mock Draft on ESPN, he predicts Hutchinson staying in his home state and playing for the Detroit Lions as the No. 2 pick. But Thibodeaux, who some viewed as the possible No. 1 overall pick during the college football season, slides down to the New York Giants with the No. 5 overall pick, just three ahead of the Atlanta Falcons.

The Giants are in a unique position of holding their own pick at No. 5 and the Chicago Bears pick at No. 7, which they acquired last year in a trade for quarterback Justin Fields. They also have a new general manager in Joe Schoen, who might want as much draft capital as possible.

If the Falcons threw in their extra second-round pick, it could possibly entice the Giants to make the move and slide down the ladder at No. 8 to take an offensive lineman.

USATSI_16686607 — Troy Wayrynen/USA Today Sports

USATSI_16688781 — Chris Pietsch/The Register Guard

While the Falcons have other needs and more likely targets with their No. 8 pick (including drafting USC wide receiver Drake London) the team needs a premier pass rusher. And to be within arms length of a dynamic player like Thibodeaux, sometimes you need to take a leap of faith.

Published Feb 23, 2022

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.