2012 NFL Draft: Get Ready for a Move Up by the Atlanta Falcons

Atlanta Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff hinted about it last Thursday during his pre-draft press conference.

If the right player is available as the second round unfolds on Friday, the Falcons might move up.

“There is no question about it," Dimitroff said. "We have dialed in on certain players at a number of positions that we would consider moving up, if in fact it presented itself.

"If there is someone there and we feel it’s necessary to move up, and that means moving a pick later in the draft or a couple of picks, we are never averse to that. As long as we feel that player can come in, impact this team and in our minds hopefully impact the team as soon as possible. We would consider that.”

With a number of surprise selections in Thursday night’s first round of the 2012 NFL draft, and a record number of trades—19 in all, a milestone evening—one of the areas of need for this Falcons team, the offensive line, has a lot of quality players remaining to choose from.

Center Peter Konz was slated to be a first-round pick, but he’s still on the board. So are projected top 50 picks: tackles Cordy Glenn, Mike Adams, Jonathan Martin, Jeff Allen and Bobbie Massie, and guard Amini Silatolu.

There are still 22 picks before Atlanta is on the clock. But as we sit two hours prior to the second round of the draft, there's more hope that a high-grade offensive lineman can land at pick No. 55.

The Falcons general manager has history of moving. In three of his four drafts with the Falcons, he’s traded up during the draft. In the fourth, he traded down. Whatever the direction, there’s a good shot Dimitroff will make a draft-day trade.

And because of the crazy first round on Thursday, there’s likely a greater chance that Dimitroff will move up to find that player he’s “dialed in on.”