The Falcons received a strong offer from the Rams to trade down in this year’s SB Nation Mock Draft, and the gamble paid off in a big way with top edge rusher Laiatu Latu remaining on the board at pick 19.
The Atlanta Falcons had to wait a bit longer than expected in SB Nation’s Writers Mock Draft—where the picks are handled by a representative from each of our team sites—because I was busy orchestrating a trade down to 19 with the Los Angeles Rams. Trust me, this one was worth the wait!
Atlanta took a big risk for a big reward by moving down 11 spots in the 2024 NFL Draft, but their boldness paid off with the board falling almost perfectly ahead of them. Before we get to the Falcons’ pick, here’s how the first 18 picks went in our simulation. *Denotes a traded pick.
- Chicago Bears – QB Caleb Williams
- Washington Commanders – QB Drake Maye
- New England Patriots – QB Jayden Daniels
- Minnesota Vikings* – QB J.J. McCarthy
- Arizona Cardinals* – WR Marvin Harrison Jr.
- New York Giants – WR Rome Odunze
- Tennessee Titans – WR Malik Nabers
- Los Angeles Rams* – OT Joe Alt
- Las Vegas Raiders* – QB Michael Penix Jr.
- New York Jets – OT Taliese Fuaga
- Los Angeles Chargers* – OT J.C. Latham
- Denver Broncos – QB Bo Nix
- Chicago Bears* – EDGE Dallas Turner
- New Orleans Saints – OT Troy Fautanu
- Indianapolis Colts – TE Brock Bowers
- Seattle Seahawks – DT Jer’Zhan “Johnny” Newton
- Jacksonville Jaguars — CB Terrion Arnold
- Cincinnati Bengals — DT Byron Murphy II
And now, on to the Falcons pick.
TRADE — Round 1, Pick 19: EDGE Laiatu Latu, UCLA
The Falcons trade pick 8 to the Rams for pick 19, pick 83 (3rd), and a 2025 1st.
I was expecting offers to come in for Joe Alt when he fell past the Titans at 7, but I wasn’t expecting the best one to come from the Rams. In order to make that move—and risk missing out on one of the top three edge rushers—the Falcons would need premium compensation. Los Angeles was willing to offer it in the form of a 2025 first-rounder and their earlier third-round pick. It’s a risky proposition, as 19 is certainly a lot further than any trades I’d considered before. For that level of return, however, I think it’s worth the risk.
I’m glad I took the trade, because this draft worked out marvelously for Atlanta. While Dallas Turner did end up going in the top 15, no other edge rusher left the board prior to pick 19—leaving the Falcons with arguably the best pass rusher in the class in Laiatu Latu after picking up a future first and an additional Day 2 pick. If this were to happen in reality, it would be an absolute home run—provided Atlanta uses those extra picks wisely, of course.
On Latu, I think he’s absolutely the best pass rusher in this draft class right now. Could Turner and Verse surpass him, eventually? Possibly. But after a trade down like this, there’s no reason to pass on Latu’s obvious talent. Here’s how I described him in a previous mock draft:
Latu is one of the most technically polished pass rushers I’ve ever seen coming out of college. He’s got a dizzying array of moves and knows when and how to use them. While he’s got a good frame at 6’5, 267, he does lack ideal length with less than 33” arms. However, Latu’s biggest questions were his medicals and his overall athleticism. He answered both thoroughly at the Combine (and his Pro Day), with positive reports on his health and an impressive 9.41 RAS. Latu is the most pro-ready pass rusher in the class and should be expected to make an immediate impact on passing downs, which fits well with Atlanta’s win-now mindset after the Kirk Cousins signing.
Beyond the pick itself—which Atlanta could have easily made at 8, as Latu is currently second in odds to go to the Falcons at +350 per DraftKings Sportsbook—is the haul Atlanta received in return for dropping down to 19. It can’t be overstated how crucial that extra 2025 first-rounder could be for the Falcons’ long-term plans, particularly at quarterback. Given what we know about the Rams, the pick Atlanta receives will likely be somewhere in the 20s. If all goes well here, we should expect the Falcons to be picking in the 20s as well.
Atlanta would have the option of packaging those two picks to potentially get into the early teens without having to mortgage any future picks at all. Or, the Falcons could stand pat and potentially grab two first-round talents to bolster what should be a “win-now” roster. Not to mention, if anything goes wrong for the Rams (or Falcons), Atlanta could have a much earlier pick than expected—or even two earlier picks.
It’s ridiculously early to be planning anything like that; suffice it to say that the Falcons would be in a fantastic position to continue building out the roster through the draft in 2025.
Then there’s also the extra Day 2 pick—83rd overall in the third round—to consider. That would give Atlanta another opportunity to add to a position of need, or perhaps add ammunition for a potential trade up into the late first or second round. Quite simply, this move not only secures the potentially high-end edge rusher the Falcons desperately need, but it also secures a ton of flexibility going into a winning window in 2025.
What do you think of this potential draft scenario, Falcons fans?
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