CBS Sports mock draft asks an interesting question: Would the Falcons trade down?

An intriguing scenario presents itself.

The Falcons have their third consecutive top 10 pick in this April’s draft, and the discussions around that pick have tended to focus in on who they might select at #8, with a smattering of talk around trading the pick for Lamar Jackson or trading up to get one of the top five talents in this class.

A scenario that has not been discussed, however, is the trade down. While that’s likely a remote possibility, as it has been for many moons now, I did find the notion intriguing when I saw it laid out in the latest CBS Sports mock draft from Chris Trapasso.

The impetus behind the trade, naturally, was for a team to go up and get their quarterback. In this scenario, Trapasso has the Giants moving up to No. 8 to snag Ohio State phenom C.J. Stroud, presumably to supplant Daniel Jones this year or next, and giving up a solid haul to do so. The Falcons, in this telling, receive the No. 26 pick, the No. 58 selection in the second round, a 2024 first round pick, and a 2024 fourth rounder.

With that pick, the Falcons land Myles Murphy, the Clemson defender who has commonly been mocked to them in the top ten. If Atlanta is high on Murphy or does not view a huge dropoff from some of the top defensive linemen in the class to him, a trade down that nets them a good haul and a quality player might be something they’d carefully consider. Murphy’s ability and versatility would make him an appealing option for a team that desperately needs capable pass rushers, which is part of the reason he has been so frequently linked to Atlanta in the first place.

It seems more likely that the Falcons will simply invest their top ten pick in another high-end talent, given that they stayed put with Kyle Pitts and Drake London and don’t seem to regret either selection. How compelling a move down feels likely depends on who the team believes will be available and what they get back, with an additional second round selection and a 2024 first rounder certainly feeling like a big deal for a team that has leaned heavily on its draft classes over Terry Fontenot and Arthur Smith’s first couple of years in Atlanta.

Would you consider trading down for a return like this, or would you need more?