Getty A trade with the Steelers could land the Falcons a WR compared to Dez Bryant in this draft.
Trading up or down in the first-round of the 2022 NFL draft isn’t something that’s been widely mooted for the Atlanta Falcons. Yet, the franchise owns the eighth-overall pick, a prime spot for teams looking to move up the board and snatch a quarterback or a pass-rusher who rates among the top-10 prospects.
One team who could be interested in such a deal are the Pittsburgh Steelers. The AFC North franchise is undergoing a hard reset at football’s most important position after Ben Roethlisberger hung up his cleats following the 2021 season.
Mitchell Trubisky was brought in during free agency, but it would be a surprise if the former draft flop of the Chicago Bears and backup for the Buffalo Bills proved the long-term answer. Instead, the Steelers could trade up and select the quarterback many feel is the most talented in this class.
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That’s the scenario put forward by one mock draft writer, who believes the Falcons would jump at the idea if it meant getting the Steelers’ first-round pick this year and additional draft capital for 2023.
The Falcons would then use Pittsburgh’s current pick, the 20th-overall selection, to draft a wide receiver who has drawn comparisons to controversial veteran Dez Bryant.
Steelers Give Up a Lot for Malik Willis
In a projection of the first round, complete with trades, Draft Wire’s Luke Easterling has the Steelers moving into the Falcons’ spot. The motivation for the trade is to make Liberty’s Malik Willis the first quarterback selected:
“The Steelers can’t feel comfortable rolling into the 2022 season with Mitchell Trubisky as their starter, and Willis has the most potential of any passer in this class. The Falcons need a quarterback of the future, too, but could add an additional first-round pick in next year’s draft with this trade, and address that need next year after building a better roster.”
Although Easterling didn’t specifically spell out the compensation involved in this deal, the Falcons’ interest would surely be piqued by the offer of an “additional first-round pick” next year. It would be a lot for the Steelers to part with, especially for Willis, who has prompted some strong debates among analysts during the pre-draft process.
One fractious back-and-forth about the dual-threat quarterback involved this damning assessment from CBS Sports’ Pete Prisco, relayed by Tyler Forness of The Vikings Wire:
This kind of thing drives me nuts. Outside of the standard issues and undertones of racism, he lacks any context of the Liberty offense which would have explained everything he has an issue with
Forness wasn’t the only one who took exception to Prisco’s comments. His words also earned a rebuke from USA Today’s Doug Farrar that, in turn, prompted an angry response from Prisco:
It was a brief exchange, but the intensity of it shows how polarizing Willis has been for some of those evaluating this draft class. The risk vs. reward factor of using a top-10 pick on Willis is something the Falcons will likely be thinking about, since the franchise has been heavily linked to the Georgia native in recent weeks.
Prisco’s CBS Sports colleague, Jason La Canfora, has predicted the Falcons will stay put at eight and take Willis, whom he says has “Mike Vick vibes.” La Canfora isn’t the only one who sees a connection between Willis and the Falcons.
He’s the team’s choice in the latest mock draft from Ari Meirov of Pro Football Focus. Willis also heads to Atlanta in the two-round mock from NFL.com draft analyst Chad Reuter.
It’s an option worth considering, especially with Marcus Mariota scheduled to start. Alternatively, the Falcons may be better served following Easterling’s suggestion and putting themselves in position to draft a receiver who’s earned an interesting comparison.
Dez Bryant-Style WR a Fit for Falcons
Easterling’s trade scenario is completed by the Falcons addressing their “desperate need for a true No. 1 receiver” with the 20th pick. Treylon Burks is the choice, with Easterling endorsing the prospect’s “impressive leaping ability and after-the-catch explosiveness.”
Burks is an intriguing fit for an offense still lacking a go-to wideout. The rotation is far from inspiring, with the returning Olamide Zaccheaus joining low-key free-agent arrivals Damiere Byrd and Auden Tate.
Losing Russell Gage to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in free agency was a blow, so was seeing Calvin Ridley incur an indefinite suspension for violations of the league’s betting policies. Ridley missed significant time last season while he dealt with his mental wellbeing, but he still figured to enter this season as the lone receiver on the Falcons’ roster opposing teams might fear.
Without Ridley, the Falcons need a versatile wideout who can impact defenses underneath and over the top, as well as take coverage away from dynamic, second-year tight end Kyle Pitts. Burks fits the bill after a prolific final season at Arkansas, during which he caught 66 passes for 1,104 yards and 11 touchdowns, per Sports Reference.
Burks excelled after he got the ball into his hands, like for this touchdown against Alabama:
.@TreylonBurks is going to be a BIG problem in the NFL
Plays like this should offset any doubts about Burks’ speed. Concerns were raised raised by a poor showing at the Combine, where he ran the 40 in 4.55 seconds, according to Pro Football Network’s Oliver Hodgkinson.
While his testing numbers weren’t great, Burks’ college highlights showcased greater play speed. His 6’3″, 225-pound frame also makes Burks a mismatch in coverage, either from the slot or on the outside. Size and versatility have seen Burks compared to Deebo Samuel and A.J. Brown, per Draft Kings Nation.
There’s some merit to those comparisons, but CBS Sports’ Dan Schneier reached into the recent past for a more apt similarity: “Burks measured in almost identical to former Cowboys star WR Dez Bryant at the Combine (Treylon Burks at combine: 6-foot-2, 225 pounds, 4.55 40 — Dez Bryant at combine: 6-2, 225, 4.52 40) and there are similarities in their games too. Like Bryant, Burks does an excellent job going up to get passes and winning vertically without elite straight-line speed. He is also surprisingly effective on quick in-breaking routes. Burks may even have a slight edge on Dez when it comes to his tackle-breaking ability and breakaway speed.”
Dez Bryant, a first-round pick in 2010, has barely played since 2017 and was out of football altogether last season. The 33-year-old has been beset by injuries since an acrimonious split from the Dallas Cowboys, where Bryant had issues like “communicating” and “tardiness,” per ESPN’s Todd Archer.
While his career hasn’t lacked controversy, Bryant has usually been dominant when on the field. He was named an All-Pro in 2014, posted three 1,000-yard seasons and went to as many Pro Bowls for the Cowboys.
A similar level of production from Burks would transform the Falcons’ fortunes at a position that’s been threadbare since Julio Jones was traded to the Tennessee Titans last offseason.