Falcons Projected to Be Among Busiest Teams on Day 1 of NFL Draft

As we discussed a few days ago, the idea of the Atlanta Falcons trading back in the 2025 NFL Draft may be growing in popularity. The team's own senior reporter Tori McElhaney again dived into the potential scenario Thursday.

In her latest NFL mock draft, McElhaney predicted the Falcons to trade out of the first round to only then move back into the round at No. 26 overall.

At No. 26 in the first round, McElhaney projected the Falcons to select Boston College edge rusher Donovan Ezeiruaku.

"Never one to miss out on a potential trade away of a first-round pick, without any second-round picks or any overly glaring needs for starters, the Rams were more than happy to put this deal together with Atlanta.," McElhaney wrote. "They pick up two second-rounders they'll use to tap into this deep class of secondary players, while the Falcons leapfrogging the final five teams picking in the first round, who all happen to want help along their defensive front. It's a win-win for Atlanta and Los Angeles.

"Plus, the Falcons don't have to give up their No. 39 overall pick acquired from the Bears to move back into the first round. So, they have ample opportunity to bring in another top defensive playmaker in the draft."

We can discuss the prospect in a minute. But the biggest takeaway in McElhaney's new mock draft is the trade activity the Falcons had.

In the first hypothetical trade, McElhaney proposed the Falcons send their No. 15 overall selection to the Chicago Bears. In exchange, the Falcons received the No. 39 and 41 picks in the second round along with a fifth-round selection.

To move back into the first round at No. 26 overall, McElhaney proposed the Falcons send one of the Bears' second-round picks and their own second-rounder to the Rams for No. 26 overall and No. 90 in the third round.

The end result was the Falcons gaining third and fifth-round choices and moving up a few positions in the second round. But in the scenario, Atlanta made its first-round selection 11 picks later.

ESPN's ranked Ezeiruaku the No. 7 edge rusher in the 2025 NFL Draft. With Atlanta's huge need at edge rusher, the Falcons might be better served getting the best edge rushing prospect possible rather than additional picks.

But maybe not according to NFL Network's Daniel Jeremiah, who ranked Ezeiruaku the No. 5 edge rusher in the class.

"Ezeiruaku is a compact edge rusher with outstanding length, burst and production. In the pass game, he has a very quick first step and gets on top of blockers in a hurry," Jeremiah wrote. "He excels at prying open the outside shoulder and cornering toward the quarterback. He has a full array of moves to complement his speed rush.

"He has won with a club/swim, inside counter, spin move and Euro step. He’s an outstanding finisher (16.5 sacks in 2024). Against the run, he needs to be more consistent using his length to stack blocks. He takes them on with his shoulder too often. He shows solid effort on the back side to chase plays.

"Overall, Ezeiruaku has an ideal body type to rush the passer, and he has all the tricks in his bag to win against good players."

With Thursday being the release of her seventh mock draft, McElhaney might simply be trying not to repeat herself with each new mock before the 2025 first round rather than presenting a new serious prediction.

But the scenario she presented Thursday is intriguing because it gives the Falcons a chance to land an edge rusher and additional draft capital.