NFL Draft War Room Video Reveals Atlanta Falcons Bold Trade Attempt

NFL Network’s Steve Wyche reported on draft weekend that the Atlanta Falcons tried to trade for another first-round pick after grabbing Washington quarterback Michael Penix at No. 8 overall. Thanks to a New York Jets draft room video, Falcons fans now know how high the team wanted that second first-round pick to be.

In a behind-the-scenes video of the Jets draft room during the first round, Jets general manager Joe Douglas sounded interested in swapping first-round picks with the Falcons. Atlanta held the No. 8 pick while New York had the 10th selection.

However, Douglas said on video that the Falcons wanted to stay at No. 8 and then acquire No. 10 overall as well.

Wyche reported on April 26 that by trading for a second first-round choice, the Falcons desired to grab UCLA edge rusher Laiatu Latu after selecting Penix.

A lot of mock draft experts connected the Falcons to the top three edge rushers in the 2024 class. Pundits considered Latu, Alabama’s Dallas Turner and Florida State’s Jared Verse those top three edge rushers.

It’s unclear if the Falcons were also interested in trading back up in the first round for Turner and Verse as well or only for Latu. But landing any of the edge rushers would have enabled the Falcons to add a top defensive prospect to help immediately. 

If Atlanta had been able to orchestrate a trade for Latu, the Falcons probably would have fared better in the immediate NFL draft grades. One of the biggest criticisms of Atlanta’s decision to draft Penix was the fact he won’t help the team win with 36-year-old Kirk Cousins in 2024.

However, acquiring the No. 10 pick would have been very expensive. The Falcons very likely would have had to send the Jets their 2025 first-round selection and additional draft capital.

The Jets eventually traded back a spot with the Minnesota Vikings. The Vikings selected Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy while the Jets took offensive tackle Olumuyiwa Fashanu from Penn State.

After the Falcons were unable to move back up for Latu, the UCLA edge rusher landed with the Indianapolis Colts at No. 15 overall. Latu was the first defender off the board in the draft.

The Falcons eventually made a trade to get near the first round. They sent No. 43 and No. 79 overall, the pick they got from the Jacksonville Jaguars in the Calvin Ridley deal, to swap places with the Arizona Cardinals. They selected defensive lineman Ruke Orhorhoro from Clemson at No. 35.