This Falcons-Giants Draft Day Blockbuster Trade Could Land Atlanta No. 4 Overall Pick

At the midway point of the 2019 season, the Atlanta Falcons appeared destined to land a top-five pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. Instead, their late season surge ended those dreams and now they hold the 16th overall pick.

Reports leading up to the draft indicate that the Falcons plan to trade up in the first round to select either South Carolina defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw or Florida cornerback CJ Henderson. General manager Thomas Dimitroff is on the hot seat and is desperate to add a playmaker on the defensive side of the field.

Luckily for Atlanta, they could do just that, with a little help from the New York Giants.

One team that appears poised to make some noise with a move up is the #Falcons. They have spent a lot of times evaluating and talking to players who figure to be gone by No. 16… and when other teams do their projections, they believe Atlanta will be on the move.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) April 15, 2020

Just like Dimitroff, Giants general manager Dave Gettleman's football livelihood hangs in the balance in 2020. With so many needs, New York would benefit in trading down to address numerous positions. As for the Falcons, they can get their hands on another top defensive prospect like Jeff Okudah, Isaiah Simmons or Derrick Brown.

In this hypothetical blockbuster, the Falcons and Giants won't just exchange first-round picks. They'll swap receivers Calvin Ridley and Golden Tate and Atlanta will send a sixth-round pick to New York. This way, the Falcons don't sacrifice a ton of draft capital and get another offensive weapon to play while the Giants rid themselves of a bad contract in Tate, add another young receiver to play alongside Sterling Shepard and Darius Slayton, still get the offensive lineman/linebacker they want at No. 16, and add another late pick.

Chris Mortensen just reported on ESPN that the #Falcons are expected to be the most aggressive team in the draft and could even move into the top-5. Wow.
— Matt Karoly (@mattkaroly) April 20, 2020

This helps the Giants' long-term plan and the Falcons' short-term goals.

Hey, if the Falcons are serious about moving up 12 spots in the first round, they'll have to pay a price, but this is fair when you consider the circumstances.