By Cooper Girolamo
There were a lot of picks, a lot of trades, and a lot of surprises from this past NFL Draft. There was one storyline that isn’t getting a lot of attention, but I think is was a massive move for the future for these two teams. This move I am talking about is the Atlanta Falcons and the Los Angeles Rams trading in Round 1. The Falcons got picks 26 and 101 and the Rams got picks 46, 242, and the Falcons first-round pick next year.
Rams Set Up Their Future
Many people are saying the Rams won this deal easily. While pick 242 was later traded again, pick 46 turned into Oregon tight end Terrence Ferguson. He is a very solid tight end to pair up with Tyler Higbee and give quarterback Matthew Stafford another threat to throw the ball to. The pick part of the deal, though, was the 2026 first-round pick they got from the Falcons. This is a big deal because the Rams could be in the quarterback market next year with Stafford getting older. The QB class next year is looking to be one of the best in recent memories with a lot of top-end talent. The Falcons pick could land their QB of the future and allow them to still have their own first-round pick. It could also allow them to package that pick and their own first-rounder to move up and get a QB. Either way, having two first-round picks is a rare commodity and something that can help build the Rams into the next NFL powerhouse if used correctly.
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Falcons Take a Calculated Risk
From the Atlanta Falcons’ point of view, they took a gamble. Yes – they gave up a lot, but they think their team will be atop the NFL standings in 2025. That would mean their first-round pick won’t hold that much value. They already have their QB of the future in Michael Penix and felt they were a piece away from being a team nobody wants to see next season. That piece being a pass rush. They used their earlier first-round pick on pass rusher Jalon Walker from Georgia. They then used the Rams pick that they acquired on James Pearce Jr., a high risk, high reward pass rusher from Tennessee. They added two very talented, young, cheap pass-rushers to their team that they believe can give opposing QB nightmares. The Falcons are going for it all and to do that means giving up their first-round pick next year. It is a very risky move, a move that could get people fired, but also a move that could pay off in big ways.
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Only time will tell who won this trade. Both teams took big risks that could flop or become big rewards. I think the trade was a win-win situation as both teams are building for their futures in different ways. Once next year’s draft rolls around, we will be able to reevaluate and see who really came out on top.
