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Could Falcons trade up to No. 1 for Clowney? Texans said to be open to it

For months, we've wondered what the Houston Texans might do with the first pick — take a quarterback or draft Jadeveon Clowney.

So what's behind Door No. 3?

There appears to be some smoke now for a possible trade of the pick, ESPN's Ed Werder suggests.

The Atlanta Falcons are no strangers to moving up in the draft. They've made bold moves up in the first round for Julio Jones and Desmond Trufant the past two seasons, and sliding up from the No. 6 pick to the top spot for Clowney would fit that same pattern.

The Falcons need pass-rush help, and even with talk of them transitioning to more 3-4 fronts under Mike Nolan, Clowney would be a great fit as a multiple-technique defender.

Would the Texans be making a mistake moving out of the top slot? They have to be certain that one of their preferred players will be available at that point, if that's what the deal involved. They'd be guaranteed to get one of the top six players in the draft, but what if their favorite 2-3 options are gone? Do they trade down again?

If they do stay at 6, the Texans' best bets could include taking either DE-OLB Khalil Mack, an offensive lineman such as Auburn's Greg Robinson or Texas A&M's Jake Matthews, or perhaps a quarterback such as UCF's Blake Bortles.

Hold those mock drafts for now. A trade could happen and blow them all up in short order.

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Eric Edholm

is a writer for Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at edholm@yahoo-inc.com or follow him on Twitter!