Atlanta Falcons Trade Back Twice in Dream Mock Draft from The Athletic

With the 2025 NFL Draft starting on Thursday night, the number of mock drafts thankfully draws to a close. The fatigue levels of reading various opinions regarding the Atlanta Falcons will morph into a discussion about who the team actually selected. 

With that in mind, we've seen players' stock seemingly rise significantly like Marshall edge rusher Mike Green or slip like Tennessee pass rusher James Pearce Jr.. Either way, by the time Monday morning rolls around, the world will know what the Falcons' draft strategy actually was and not subject to speculation.

If you talk to a member of Falcons media or member of the fanbase, almost by a consensus, all want the organization to draft a pass rusher while adding more picks. Atlanta has just five selections overall and only two in the first 100.

The The Athletic's Josh Kendall is able to accomplish both goals in his final mock draft before the rubber hits the road on Thursday night. In his mock draft, found here, Kendall, proposes a pair of trades that he believes will net a bounty for Atlanta. 

According to the mock, the Falcons trades 15th pick to the Bengals for the 17th and 81st pick. Then, they ship the 17th pick, along with the 118th selection to the Los Angeles Chargers for the 22nd and 55th pick. With that first-round selection, they pick Donovan Ezeiruaku, the Boston College pass rusher.

After the trades, the Falcons have picks No. 22 (Ezeiruaku), two second-round selections (No. 46 and No. 55), a third rounder (No. 81), and a pair of seventh round choices.

"The 6-foot-2, 248-pounder has that potential," wrote Kendall on The Athletic. "He was a consensus All-American for Boston College after recording 16 1/2 sacks last season, and he checks all the right athletic boxes — good bend around the edge, long arms (34 inches) and adequate explosion (35.5-inch vertical jump)."

This makes complete sense. At 22, the Falcons could benefit from a player like the former Boston College stand out for a couple of reasons. First, Ezeiruaku could be one of the most complete edge talents in the draft. With 47 tackles for loss in his four-year career, he plays the run with the same passion as his pass rush.

Next, his active hands will make an impact. He had eight forced fumbles, including three last season, signifying that he's a strip sack specialist.

Ezeiruaku’s ability to play a three-down role from the first game goes a long way in the NFL. Ezeiruaku sticks his nose into the play and does not back down. At the next level, he possesses the tools to become a headache for opposing defenses. With three Day 2 picks, the Falcons are still able to address defensive tackle, cornerback, and safety if they wish.

Overview

With the draft proposal, Kendall solves a multitude of what ails the team. They select an edge rusher to address the chronically-poor pass rush for the first time since 2017, and they pick up two extra Day 2 picks to address several other holes on the defense.

Kendall it's a home run on his mock. Can general manager Terry Fontenot pull off similar magic on Thursday?