Whether they admit it or not, the Atlanta Falcons were clearly sellers at the NFL trade deadline. The team traded two starters for future draft picks, sending safety Jessie Bates to the Jacksonville Jaguars and dealing center Ryan Neuzil to the Baltimore Ravens.

The Falcons' may take a slight step back after these trades, but their future is undoubtedly brighter with the additional draft capital. This was clearly a priority for first-year general manager Ian Cunningham after navigating the 2026 NFL Draft without a first-round pick.

The 2027 NFL Draft should be more exciting for fans in Atlanta. Not only do the Falcons have two second-round picks, but they are currently slated for the 10th overall pick in Round 1.If Atlanta lands another top-10 selection, there will be no shortage of quality options.

While there are a few different directions the team could go, the offensive line has been a popular projection among NFL draft experts. A new 2027 NFL mock draft from SI has the Falcons targeting Utah offensive tackle Zereoue Williams with the No. 10 pick.

"Utah's Zereoue Williams has been fantastic this season," wrote SI's Justin Melo. "He's firmly in the OT1 conversation, and is arguably playing better than Spencer Fano and Caleb Lomu did last season, two Utes tackles who ended up being first-round picks. The Atlanta Falcons need a successor for Jake Matthews."

There is no doubt that the Falcons need to be prepared for a future without Jake Matthews. Even though the veteran offensive tackle is still playing at a high level, the team would be wise to invest in a replacement before he abruptly retires (see Kaleb McGary).

Atlanta created another need up front by trading away Neuzil at the deadline. Unlike the Jessie Bates trade, which netted the Falcons a 2027 second-round pick and fifth-rounder in 2028, the Neuzil trade wasn't as lucrative.

With right tackle Jawaan Taylor set to become a free agent after the season, the Falcons' offensive line could like very different next season.