These three Atlanta Falcons players could find themselves on a new team during the NFL Draft.
I think we can all agree that we don’t see as many draft-day player trades as we wish. As fun as it is seeing picks flip-flop, it is much more fun seeing players moved around, along with picks.
The Atlanta Falcons find themselves in a position to be aggressive. They have their offense evened out and now they are looking to get younger on the defense. They hold eight picks, which is a solid amount, but they could look to move up the board by trading a player.
Here are three players who could find themselves dispensable on draft night.
The Atlanta Falcons could trade QB Taylor Heinicke on day three
Taylor Heinicke, at the very least, is going to be competing for a spot on the Falcons roster with a rookie quarterback. That is his best-case scenario while the worst would be getting cut or traded for very little.
Heinicke is not going to have much value. He is older, has reached his peak, and hasn’t played well these past few years. The Falcons could dangle him as a piece if they are looking to trade up late on day three.
The Atlanta Falcons could trade S Richie Grant on day two or three
One of the goals the Falcons should have during the draft is trading Richie Grant for anything they can get.
The former second-round pick’s play has declined every year and brewed into his benching for a seventh-round rookie last year. You have to feel like his time is up in Atlanta and he would benefit from resetting with another team.
Whether it is a late-round pick for Richie Grant trade or a trade-up, the Falcons need to get something done. Along with this, they need to draft a guy to compete with DeMarcco Hellams this summer.
The Atlanta Falcons could trade LB Troy Andersen on day one or two
In one of my recent mock drafts, I had the Atlanta Falcons trading Troy Andersen—along with a few picks—to the Eagles for their first-round pick. This may be an option for Terry Fontenot if he sees a player he loves dropping into the 20s on day one.
Andersen’s value is not a day-one pick by any means. He is super talented and has played well at times, but he has not stayed on the field and was only a second-round pick two years ago anyway.
Andersen’s expectations on this roster are not what they were a year ago because of the emergence of Nate Landman. While he would be nice to have, the Falcons can survive without him if they need to use him to snag a player they love.