How the Atlanta Falcons altered the 2023 NFL draft top 10
Sebastian Wright
Published Apr 12, 2026
The Atlanta Falcons can now focus on improving their offense with the eighth overall pick after trading for Jeff Okudah from Detroit.
ATLANTA — The Jeff Okudah era in Detroit is over after the Lions shipped the third overall pick in the 2020 NFL draft to the Atlanta Falcons in exchange for a fifth round pick.
Okudah was unable to stay healthy the first two years in Detroit, but he played well in 2022 setting a career high in tackles and recording his first career pick-six.
For the Falcons, this is another move to bolster their defense after the team signed safety Jessie Bates III, defensive linemen Calais Campbell and David Onyemata, as well as linebacker Kaden Elliss in free agency.
These moves seem to point to the Falcons using their first round pick, No. 8 overall, on an offensive player - and Locked on NFL Draft podcast hosts Damian Parson and Keith Sanchez believe running back Bijan Robinson could be the target here.
"You're positioning yourself to take best player available, and he would be the best player available," Parson said. "It all depends on where you want to head as a team, but I wouldn't hate the pick if they made it at this point."
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Robinson is widely considered among the best running back prospects to enter the NFL in a long time, finishing ninth in Heisman voting last year while rushing for 1,580 yards and 18 touchdowns with the Longhorns.
The Falcons got great production from Tyler Allgeier last season, and Cordarrelle Patterson has been a revelation in a hybrid RB/WR role the past two years, but adding Robinson to that group would allow the Falcons to dominate on the ground, easing the pressure on second-year quarterback Desmond Ridder.
Atlanta has plenty of other potential options with the eight pick, including receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba, but the flexibility they get from bolstering the defense so aggressively in free agency should make this a fun draft for the Falcons and could be another step toward them being a big time threat this upcoming season.
Catch the full conversation on the Locked On NFL Draft podcast, and get even more from the daily Locked On Falcons podcast on YouTube or wherever you listen to podcasts!
Locked On has a DAILY podcast covering EVERY NFL team, find yours today!
