Under the direction of General Manager Terry Fontenot, the Atlanta Falcons are preparing for what could be an exciting 2024 NFL Draft. With only five picks in their arsenal, including the No. 15 overall selection, Fontenot has hinted at a willingness to trade down in order to acquire additional draft capital. His style exemplifies a broader trend of weird, counterintuitive decision-making. This approach has marked his tenure since he joined the agency in 2019.
Fontenot has earned a reputation for his best-player-available philosophy, which emphasizes staying true to their board and taking the highest-rated guy available over filling needs. Though he cautions that just blindly trying to aim for particular needs will produce dangerous results. “If I had a crystal ball, I promise I would be looking in it and I probably [would] have been to four straight Super Bowls at this point, but I don’t have that crystal ball, so we’ll see,” Fontenot stated.
In truth, Fontenot hasn’t been afraid to make head-turning selections in the past. In 2021, he made waves when the Falcons took Kyle Pitts. In addition to that, he became the highest-picked tight end in NFL history, going No. 8 overall. During their first season, the Falcons inked veteran QB Kirk Cousins to a $100 million guaranteed deal. Then they went a surprising route by selecting quarterback Michael Penix Jr., underscoring Fontenot’s penchant for the unexpected.
Beyond Fontenot’s leadership, the Falcons are finally reflecting a plan on the field to repair their defensive deficiencies. The team struggled defensively last year, prompting discussions about potential trades and improvements. Fontenot’s 75% confidence level on trading up in the draft. He thinks there are strategic opportunities in free agency to maximize the assets they have and further strengthen the roster.
In the past few months, the Falcons have made several moves to completely reconfigure their roster for a run of success. In fact, they swapped their third-round pick with the New England Patriots in trade for the services of linebacker Matthew Judon. They lost a fifth-round pick due to a tampering violation. That underscores the importance of them squeezing every bit of talent they can out of their limited remaining draft capital.
Fontenot acknowledged the complexity of trading within the draft, stating, “The thing about that is it always sounds good, and we are obviously going to look at it — we’re going to make the right decision for the team — but you have to have a willing partner.” This emphasizes the delicate dance that is required to pull off successful trades.
As we get closer to the draft the speculation is running rampant about what the Falcons will do. Fontenot does have a lot of holes on defense and next to no picks to work with. His prowess with trades and contract negotiations will be paramount in re-building the franchise for new blood.
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