The Atlanta Falcons may have one of the most valuable remaining trade chips in the 2021 NFL Draft, and they are apparently open to wielding it.
The Falcons are open to trading back from No. 4 overall in the draft, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports.
Now that the New York Jets traded Sam Darnold, there is virtually no chance of any of the top three teams trading back. The Jacksonville Jaguars are going to take Trevor Lawwrence first overall, and the Jets will then take a quarterback — possibly BYU’s Zach Wilson — at No. 2. The San Francisco 49ers have the third overall pick after trading up, so they are obviously taking a quarterback as well.
That leaves the No. 4 spot as the highest teams can move up, in all likelihood. With the Falcons already set at the QB position with Matt Ryan, it makes sense for them to entertain offers.
A recent report claimed the Falcons are leaning toward taking this QB with the fourth overall pick, and that may still happen. However, Atlanta would be left with a $65 million dead cap hit if Ryan is traded prior to June 1 and $40.5 million if he’s traded him before June 1, 2022, so he isn’t going anywhere.
If the Falcons can acquire additional draft capital by trading back, they are in a great position to take advantage.
