Falcons 2nd rounder for Julio Jones now finalized, will be 58th pick

The Falcons finished the season with the 8th overall selection in the 2022 NFL Draft, and that top ten pick is going to come in awfully handy as the team tries to add talent to a roster that needs it basically everywhere.

The Falcons locked in another pick late Sunday night when the Bills fell to the Chiefs in overtime in what I would rather mildly describe as one of the greatest games I have ever and will ever see. Had the Chiefs lost, the Falcons would’ve wound up with the 57th overall pick in the second round from their Julio Jones trade, but with the Kansas City’s win they will now have the 58th selection.

Atlanta has a ton of work to do this offseason and won’t be able to get all of it done with seven draft selections—they have two in round two and one each in rounds one, three, four, five, and six—but having three day two picks and a top ten selection should give them a crack at adding impact talent.

Whether the Titans get their money’s worth out of that selection will likely depend on what Julio does in 2022. He was an impactful player when he was on the field, but as was the case in 2020, he missed a significant chunk of the season and parts of several games, finishing the year with 31 grabs for 430 yards and a touchdown, plus six catches for 62 yards against the Bengals this past weekend. Whether the Falcons get value from their end of the deal will depend entirely on how well they utilize this second round selection and the 2023 fourth rounder they’re picking up in exchange for a Titans 2023 sixth rounder. Let’s hope the answer is “exceptionally well.”