Falcons wanted to trade Jets for No. 10 pick in 2024 NFL Draft, GM says
May 1 (UPI) -- A shock first-round quarterback selection grabbed most headlines, but the Atlanta Falcons also attempted a trade to acquire the No. 10 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, New York Jets general manager Joe Douglas said.
The Jets-Falcons negotiations were revealed in a video posted Tuesday on the Jets' YouTube channel. Douglas and the Jets ultimately opted to send the No. 10 pick to the Minnesota Vikings, who used it to acquire former Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy.
"They [the Falcons] want to come back up to No. 10," Douglas told Jets coach Robert Saleh and other front office staff members while in the draft room. "So they want No. 8 and 10."
The Falcons shocked many, including their own starting quarterback, when they selected former Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr. with the No. 8 overall pick.
The Chicago Bears then snagged Penix's former teammate, wide receiver Rome Odunze, at No. 9. The Vikings then sent the No. 11 overall pick, a fourth-round pick and a fifth-round selection to the Jets in exchange for the No. 10 pick and a sixth-round pick.
The Jets used the No. 11 pick to select former Penn State offensive tackle Olumuyiwa Fashanu. They included reaction video from the draft room and Fashanu's draft party, where he was surrounded by his family, in their YouTube footage.
"We had plenty of strategy meetings, just talking about scenarios where you move up and scenarios where you move back," Douglas said.
"It was just the way the board fell. We had the opportunity to make a small move backward, with the Vikings, and [were] still able to get who we think will be a dominant left tackle in this league."
The Jets-Vikings swap was the first of five separate first-round trades that occurred during the first day of the event Thursday in Detroit.
"There were a lot of calls leading up to that pick and there were a lot of calls when we were on the clock," Douglas said. "It was really active."
The Jets went on to trade the latter two picks they acquired in the Vikings trade. They sent the fourth-round selection to the San Francisco 49ers in exchange for two fifth-round picks. The 49ers used that selection to draft running back Isaac Guerendo.
The Jets used the fifth-round selections on running back Isaiah Davis and cornerback Qwan'tez Stiggers.
The Jets also sent the Detroit Lions a fourth-round pick in exchange for a third-round pick in 2025. The Lions picked offensive tackle Giovanni Manu with that selection.
The Jets traded a fourth-round pick to the Green Bay Packers in exchange for a fourth-round pick and sixth-round selection. The Packers used that pick on defensive back Evan Williams. The Jets traded away both the picks they acquired in that swap.
They also sent the Carolina Panthers a third-round pick and fifth-round pick in exchange for an earlier third-round selection. They used that pick to select wide receiver Malachi Corley.
The Panthers drafted linebacker Trevin Wallace and cornerback Chau Smith-Wade with the ammo they acquired from that deal.
The Jets acquired a fifth-round pick in another trade with the Philadelphia Eagles. They sent the Eagles two sixth-round selections in that transaction. The Jets used the fifth-round pick on quarterback Jordan Travis.
The Eagles picked wide receiver Johnny Wilson and center Dylan McMahon with their selections.
Running back Braelon Allen and defensive back Jaylen Key were the other players who joined the Jets in the 2024 NFL Draft.
The Falcons, who could have been targeting one of several available top pass catchers, pass rushers or offensive linemen with the No. 10 pick, went on to complete a trade with the Arizona Cardinals for the third pick of the second round. They used that selection on defensive tackle Ruke Orhorhoro.
Fashanu, fellow offensive tackles Taliese Fuaga, Amarius Mims and Troy Fatanu, edge rushers Laiatu Latu, Dallas Turner and Jared Verse, defensive tackle Byron Murphy, tight end Brock Bowers, wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr., and cornerbacks Quinyon Mitchell and Terrion Arnold were among the top players available after nine selections in the draft.
The Falcons picked pass rusher Bralen Trice in the third round and defensive tackle Brandon Dorlus in the fourth round. They also picked up linebacker J.D. Bertrand, running back Jase McClellan, wide receiver Casey Washington and defensive tackle Zion Logue in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Fashanu could play a backup role early on, with Tyron Smith and Morgan Moses expected to start at the tackle spots for the Jets. Douglas said Fashanu also will practice at other positions.
The Falcons also committed to Cousins as their starting quarterback this season.
