Atlanta Falcons Most Valuable Players: Who is Worth a 1st-Round Pick?

The Atlanta Falcons have a solid nucleus of young players, and ESPN's Bill Barnwell broke down which Falcons would fetch a 1st-round pick in a hypothetical trade.

Drake London and Bijan Robinson star for the Atlanta Falcons and both are still under 25 years old. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Atlanta Falcons have not made the playoffs since 2017 and hold the second-longest playoff drought in the NFL. With four straight years of top-10 picks in the NFL Draft from 2021-2024, the Falcons have been able to accumulate a lot of young talent.

ESPN’s Bill Barnwell recently looked at every team and broke down which players would fetch first-round picks or more in a trade. It's a good indication of the most valuable players on the team and who outsiders feel are the biggest assets on the squad.

First Round Pick +

Barnwell decided that two players on the Falcons would fetch a first-round pick plus some add-ons. Those two players were Bijan Robinson and Drake London. This makes sense as London is arguably in the top 10 at a premium position and is still just 24 years old.

Robinson is arguably the best running back in the league and is also just 24 years old. He and Jahmyr Gibbs were the only running backs in the league to deserve this price, according to Barnwell. 

This is a fair assessment, as London and Robinson are the Falcons' two best players and are both still young. With London just receiving an extension and a Robinson one looming, the two of them are unlikely to be moved, but would fetch quite the handsome return. 

One First Round Pick

The Falcons' first-round pick from the 2025 NFL Draft, Jalon Walker, was deemed by Barnwell to be worth one first-round pick in a potential trade. Walker is coming off a rookie season where he finished second among rookies with 5.5 sacks and saw success despite only playing half of the team's defensive snaps. 

"He was really a rotation piece for the Falcons, playing just under 51% of the snaps and failing to top 65% in a single game all season," Barnwell wrote on ESPN. "There's the potential for more significant production here if Walker is simply on the field more often in 2026."

With all of the young talent on the team, it was surprising to see that only Walker was worth a first-round pick, according to Barnwell. Walker is a good player with a ton of upside, but to have him as the third most valuable player on the team when he was arguably the third-best rookie is interesting, to say the least.

Just Missing Out

Barnwell had Chris Lindstrom, Michael Penix, Kyle Pitts, James Pearce, and A.J. Terrell as players who just missed out on being worth a first-round pick. 

He explained that Lindstrom, being 29 and having a large cap hit at a non-premium position, hurt his value and that Penix’s uncertainty coming off an injury is why he missed out. However, he did not explain why the rest of them missed the list, and I think some of them deserve real explanations. 

I am not surprised Pitts didn’t make the list as he has dealt with inconsistencies throughout his career and just signed a large contract. These facts, paired with the non-premium position, justify Pitts not being worth a first-rounder. 

Pearce and Terrell being left off the list is another story. These are the two that need an explanation, as they are both younger players who have proven success and play premium positions. 

The explanation for Pearce being left off probably lies with his off-the-field issues, but with how the situation stands right now, it would be shocking if the Falcons were unable to get at least one first-round pick for a 22-year-old edge rusher coming off a rookie season with 10.5 sacks. 

If Pearce can have a drama-free sophomore campaign while replicating his rookie success, he'll move up to the first-round-plus tier.

Terrell’s lack of explanation is even more puzzling. Regarded as one of the better corners in the league by other players, Terrell is fully in his prime at 27 years old and has consistently been one of the better corners in the league over the past five seasons. 

With Sauce Gardner fetching two first-round picks and a second-round wide receiver, it wouldn’t be too crazy to assume Terrell, who is just three years older, would be worth at least one first-rounder. 

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The Falcons have a good core of young talent to build around. The veterans they brought in during free agency are on one-year deals, but the players mentioned as being most valuable should be in Atlanta for several seasons.

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