Falcons Trade Proposal Swaps Drake London for $27 Million WR

The Atlanta Falcons appear prepared to offer former first-round wide receiver Drake London a contract extension. London is entering the fifth-year option of his rookie contract during 2026.

But instead of an extension, Heavy Sports's Tony Adame proposed a scenario where the Falcons trade London. In return, Atlanta would get another wideout in need of a new deal -- George Pickens.

In the trade proposal, Adame pitched the Falcons send London and a second-round pick to the Dallas Cowboys for Pickens. Adame wrote the selection could be a 2026 or 2027 second-rounder.

"Pickens helps any team he’s on win games, but in Atlanta, he’s also a box-office draw," wrote Adame.

"Don’t forget that Pickens starred at the University of Georgia and was on the team that won the school’s first College Football Playoff national championship in 40 years following the 2021 season."

Pickens was a nice player with the Pittsburgh Steelers from 2022-24. But with the Cowboys during 2025, Pickens set new career highs with 93 catches, 1,429 receiving yards and nine touchdowns. Behind those statistics, he made his first Pro Bowl and second-team All-Pro.

London had 68 catches, 919 receiving yards and seven touchdowns in 12 contests last season. He has yet to make the Pro Bowl or All-Pro team.

Could the Falcons Acquire Cowboys WR George Pickens?

Adame pitched the Pickens-London swap from the Cowboys' perspective. For Dallas, it would make some sense for the team to part with Pickens because he's about to get expensive, and the Cowboys are already paying CeeDee Lamb top dollar.

The Cowboys placed the franchise tag on Pickens this offseason. That will be a 1-year, $27.298 million deal if Pickens signs the tender.

But the receiver very much wants a long-term deal, either in Dallas or elsewhere.

Spotrac projected Pickens to be worth about $112.4 million on a 4-year deal.

Pickens is an incredible talent, and he would be a very popular player in Atlanta since he played at Georgia and is from Hoover, Alabama. But it's hard to see why the Falcons would give up valuable draft capital they don't really have to make a position marginally better.

London has quietly posted at least 866 receiving yards every season of his NFL career. He set a new career high in receiving yards per game last season, which helped London reach that total again despite only playing 12 contests.

Furthermore, London has posted those numbers as Atlanta's top receiver. Pickens had similar statistics as London -- 59 catches, 900 receiving yards and three scores -- in 14 contests as the Steelers WR1 in 2024.

Pickens exploded in part with Dallas because of the coverage Lamb draws every week.

A London-Pickens swap is an fascinating trade proposal to discuss during the offseason. But if the Falcons dealt London, they would be better off getting draft capital in return. That would help the Falcons recoup what they lost in the James Pearce trade last year and prevent the team from needing to sign London to a long-term deal.

Giving up draft capital for Pickens would exacerbate that problem. Pickens is likely to be more expensive than London, and trading a second-rounder this year for the Cowboys receiver would leave Atlanta without a 2026 first or second-round choice.

In all likelihood, parting ways with London is probably a non-starter for the Falcons anyway. General manager Ian Cunningham seemed pretty adamant this week the team would sign London to a new deal.

“I think it’s top of mind,” Cunningham told Atlantafalcons.com's Tori McElhaney of London's contract. “I think all of these type of decisions are top of mind just in terms of you know its coming, but right now we are really focused on this wave of free agency, we have the draft coming — but don’t think for one second that that hasn’t been thought of.

"Don’t think for one second that we aren’t already thinking about all of these different things moving forward.”