Ian Cunningham is edging toward his first draft in charge of the Falcons, and one thing is already clear: he’d like to go in with more than a handful of darts to throw at the board.
Right now, Atlanta holds just five picks. None of them in the first round.
That absence at the top of the board is the price of last year’s bold move back into Round 1 to grab edge rusher James Pearce. The Falcons doubled down on that aggression this offseason, attacking free agency to plug holes that might otherwise have required premium draft capital. But Cunningham still wants volume.
“More swings at the plate,” as he put it on the team’s website.
So the new General Manager walks a tightrope. On one side, the reality of a limited draft hand. On the other, the temptation to start dealing again to reshape it.
“For us, it’s one of those things where we have to go into this thinking we only have five picks. That’s worst case,” Cunningham said. “If we come out of it with just five picks, we come out of it with just five picks. We are already looking at different ways to potentially manufacture some more. But if it doesn’t work out, it doesn’t work out.”
The message is controlled, but the subtext is obvious: the Falcons are open for business.
Unless Cunningham dips back into future assets, the realistic paths are clear. Trade down from existing slots and slide back for extra selections. Or listen on current roster pieces to generate fresh draft capital.
Either way, Atlanta’s first draft under its new architect won’t just be about who they pick. It may be defined by how creatively Cunningham finds a way to pick more.
