The Falcons just put another premium asset in Ian Cunningham’s hands, and that tells you plenty about where this new regime wants to go.
Atlanta sent star safety Jessie Bates III to Jacksonville before the deadline, landing a 2027 second-round pick and a 2028 fifth-round pick in return. That deal gives the Falcons one more selection in 2027, pushing their total to eight picks that year, with four in the top 100 and three in the first two rounds.
For a front office still in its early days, that’s a hefty pile of draft capital. But it also fits exactly how Cunningham has talked about building a roster since arriving in Atlanta. Back in his introductory press conference in January, he made clear how he views picks and why he values them so much.
“I love picks, man,” Cunningham said. “You use those as currency.
You can use it as trading up. Trade for players, proven players.
It allows you more swings at the plate. There are different ways you can use them, but that’s why we value them.
That’s why we will value them.”
That philosophy is now showing up in the Falcons’ biggest move of the season. Rather than commit long term to Bates, Atlanta chose to turn him into more draft ammunition and keep feeding the front office chances to find more talent. Bates was a major piece, ranking fifth in forced fumbles, but the team clearly decided the return was worth more than the commitment.
The approach lines up with what Cunningham has already done with draft picks. In his first draft running the show, Atlanta started with five selections and finished with six.
Then came the 2026 class, where the Falcons found real production. Day 3 linebackers Kendal Daniels and Harold Perkins Jr. have developed into long-term starters on defense, while Day 2 picks Avieon Terrell and Zachariah Branch have also made an impact, with Terrell standing out as a particularly pleasant surprise.
That kind of track record gives Atlanta reason to keep leaning into Cunningham’s process. The Falcons are betting that more swings at the plate will produce more hits, and the Bates trade gives them another chance to prove it.
Now the focus shifts to what comes next in Flowery Branch. Atlanta is sitting on an NFL-leading $143.4 million in 2027 cap space, along with this growing draft haul. With Bates gone and the rebuild still in motion, the pressure is on to turn all that flexibility into a successful offseason.
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