FLOWERY BRANCH — Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff is adjusting to being at the back of the draft this season after the Falcons won the NFC and played in Super Bowl LI.
The Falcons hold the 31st overall pick in the NFL draft, which is set for April 27-29 in Philadelphia.
“This is a little different for us,” Dimitroff said. “We’ve been up in the 20s over the last 10 years here and there, but to be at 31, I think it’s all about patience. I also think there are opportunities.”
The Falcons have three picks in the top 100 with their second-round (63) and third-round picks (95).
This season, the Falcons have all of their picks except for the sixth-round pick, which went to Tennessee in the Andy Levitre trade.
Dimitroff has made a trade in each of his trades. He traded back two spots with Houston to get the 52nd overall pick and picked up a sixth-round pick last season. The pick turned into Wes Schweitzer, who set to compete for the starting right guard spot.
Dimitroff will listen to all offers.
“Some of the teams with double picks or teams that have picks where they might want to move back, they are going to look at 31 and that potentially gives us an opportunity to be aggressive,” Dimitroff said. “We have never been short of aggressiveness in our approach with the Falcons, so we are always open to talk about that.”
Here’s a look at general manager Thomas Dimitroff’s draft-trading record:
- 2016: The Falcons sent the 50th pick in the second round to Houston for the 52nd pick and a sixth rounder. The Texans took Notre Dame guard Nick Martin and the Falcons selected linebacker Deion Jones with the 52nd pick and offensive lineman Wes Schweitzer with the 195th overall pick.
- 2015: The Falcons traded up nine spots to land defensive tackle Grady Jarrett in the fifth round with the 137th overall pick. They traded with the Minnesota Vikings and gave up their fifth-round pick (146) and sixth-round pick (185). The Vikings used the 146th pick to select wide receiver Stefon Diggs and the 185rh pick to select Oklahoma tackle Tyrus Thompson. Diggs made the PFWA All-Rookie team.
- 2014: The Falcons traded their sixth-round pick (182 overall) and one of their three seventh-round picks (220) for the Vikings' fifth-round pick (168). They selected Syracuse linebacker Marquis Spruill with the pick.
- 2013: The Falcons traded up from 30 to 22 in the first-round to land cornerback Desmond Trufant. The Falcons traded with the St. Louis Rams They gave up a third and a sixth round pick. In the fifth round, the Falcons traded up 10 picks to get TCU defensive end Stansly Maponga. They sent a seventh-round pick (236) to the Chicago Bears.
- 2012: The Falcons made a trade with Baltimore to move down seven spots in the third round to take tackle Lamar Holmes. They picked up a fifth round pick and selected defensive end Jonathan Massaquoi with the 164th overall pick. The Ravens picked up running back Bernard Pierce with the 84th pick the Falcons sent them. The Falcons gave up a seventh rounder (229 overall) to the Eagles in the Asante Samuel trade. The Eagles used that pick to select running back Bryce Brown.
- 2011: There was the 5-for-1 mega-deal with Cleveland to move up 21 spots in order to land wide receiver Julio Jones. Later, in the fifth round after the spotlight was off the Falcons, he sent two picks to St. Louis in order to move up 10 spots to scoop up running back Jacquizz Rodgers.
- 2010: Oklahoma cornerback Dominique Franks, who left school a year early, was slipping in the draft. Dimitroff sent two picks to St. Louis to move up 14 spots to acquire Franks.
- 2009: Dimitroff felt he could get his guy by going back 13 spots in the fifth round. The Falcons made a deal to send their fifth-round pick to Dallas. They moved back 13 spots and picked up a seventh-round pick for their troubles. They drafted offensive lineman Garrett Reynolds in the fifth and Vance Walker in the seventh.
- 2008: There was a run on left tackles. With the Falcons needing protection for Matt Ryan, Dimitroff sent two second-round picks and a fourth-round pick to Washington in order to move back into the first round and pick Sam Baker with the 21st overall pick. They also received third- and fifth-round picks. The Falcons used those picks to select wide receiver Harry Douglas (84th overall) and defensive end Kroy Biermann (154th).
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