2026 NFL Draft Team Needs & Predictions: Falcons

The middle of Round 1 is where the draft truly starts to bend.

Picks 13 through 16 often belong to competitive teams — but this year, trade activity has reshaped the order. The Los Angeles Rams and New York Jets currently control selections in this range, yet for the purpose of evaluating roster construction and long-term outlooks, we’ll focus on the Atlanta Falcons and Indianapolis Colts alongside the Baltimore Ravens and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

This is a fascinating tier.

These aren’t TOTAL bottom-feeders. These are organizations with defined identities — some pushing for deep playoff runs, others trying to break through after trading first-round picks last season. But each has clear pressure points on the roster.

For contenders like Baltimore and Tampa Bay, this is about sustaining a window. For Atlanta and Indianapolis, it’s about accelerating one and overcoming the lack of first-round draft capital (and injured starting QBs).

The margin for error shrinks here. Reach too far for need, and you miss out on value. Sit back and draft purely on talent, and you risk ignoring a glaring weakness. Add in looming extensions and future cap decisions, and these picks become as strategic as they are impactful.

In this batch, we break down:

The biggest roster holes for each franchise
Contract situations and future cap implications
Which positions should be prioritized for veterans and rookies
Potential fantasy football implications

This is the range where good teams separate themselves from great ones — and where smart roster management pays off.

Up next: the Atlanta Falcons (via Rams selection), the Baltimore Ravens, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and the Indianapolis Colts (via Jets selection).

Salary cap contract information provided by Spotrac.

2026 NFL Draft Team Needs & Predictions: Atlanta Falcons

Team Needs: DT, EDGE, WR, CB, LB, OT

2026 Free Agent Key Losses: QB Kirk Cousins, DL Leonard Floyd, RB: Tyler Allgeier, LB Kaden Elliss, WR Darnell Mooney, EDGE David Onyemata

2026 Free Agents

QB: Easton Stick, Emory Jones (ERFA)
WR: Malik Heath, David Sills (RFA)
TE: Feleipe Franks, Teagan Quitoriano
OL: G Elijah Wilkinson, C Jovaughn Gwyn (RFA), RT Tyrone Wheatley Jr. (ERFA)
EDGE: Arnold Ebiketie
DL: Kentavius Street, Sam Roberts, Elijah Garcia, LaCale London
LB: DeAngelo Malone, Josh Woods
CB: Natrone Brooks (ERFA), Dee Alford
S: Ronnie Harrison
ST: P Bradley Pinion, K Zane Gonzalez

2027 Free Agents

QB Tua Tagovailoa
RB: Bijan Robinson (CLUB), Carlos Washington Jr. (ERFA)
WR: Drake London, KhaDarel Hodge, Deven Thompkins, Chris Blair (RFA), Dylan Drummond (ERFA)
TE: Kyle Pitts, Charlie Woerner, Joshua Simon (ERFA),Austin Hooper
OL: C Ryan Neuzil, G Kyle Hinton, OT Matthew Bergeron, OT Storm Norton, OT Andrew Stueber (ERFA)
DL: Zach Harrison, Ben Stille, Da’Shawn Hand, Azeez Ojulari
LB: Divine Deablo, Troy Andersen
CB: Darnay Holmes, Michael Ford, C.J. Henderson, Clark Phillips III, Cobee Bryant (ERFA), A.J. Woods (ERFA)
S: Sydney Brown, Jessie Bates III, Jammie Robinson, DeMarcco Hellams, Tysheem Johnson (ERFA)
ST: P Trenton Gill

Obviously, solving the QB2 situation was a major immediate need for this new-look Atlanta Falcons roster under new head coach Kevin Stefanski. Kirk Cousins seemed possible to stick around, given his connection with Stefanski (they played together in Minnesota). But he was released by the Falcons… with perhaps the team hoping to re-sign him on a cheaper contract (a la if he can’t get any starting jobs in free agency).

Former OC with Zac Robinson gone – replaced with Tommy Rees. Rees was also brought over from Cleveland to serve as the Falcons’ new OC. Before coming to Cleveland, Rees was at Alabama and Notre Dame, serving as offensive coordinator. Some players he coached eligible in this year’s draft class include TE Eli Raridon, RB Jadarian Price, QB Ty Simpson, and RB Jam Miller.

Matt Ryan was also named the new President of Football.

Michael Penix Jr. is coming off another torn ACL injury. It’s his fifth season-ending injury. The Falcons must have a decent second option at the position. Joe Flacco looked like the obvious veteran option if Penix isn’t ready to start the year. And I find it curious that the new regime has seemed to always dodge questions regarding commitments to Penix as the team’s QB1 in 2026.

Regardless, Atlanta had to add somebody behind Penix due to his injury (and history of injuries).

If not Flacco, it will most likely be in the form of a QB that can play under center. A la, Kyler Murray to Atlanta was probably never going to happen. Part of Stefanski’s offensive identity is to run under center – something Murray has not traditionally done.

Cousins ended up not returning to the Falcons, with them opting for another southpaw QB instead. Instead, the Falcons signed Tua Tagovailoa after he was dumped by Miami. Again, he will play on the league minimum in 2026 for the Dirty Birds. Great deal and move in my opinion.

Just gives Atlanta a capable backup quarterback who can keep the fantasy assets in Atlanta afloat. Tua plays best indoors and in warm weather, so he will fit in very nicely as a Falcon.

I will say that schematically, these two QBs don’t play too similarly (despite both throwing left-handed). Penix pushes the ball outside the numbers, and Tagovailoa does the exact opposite. Last year, Tua Tagovailoa threw behind the line of scrimmage on 26.9% of his attempts this season, the highest in the NFL for the second straight season and the 2nd-highest rate of his career. Tagovailoa averaged a 2.60-second time to throw in 2025, the quickest in the NFL.

They might have needed a replacement tight end if Kyle Pitts leaves in free agency. Adding another TE – David Njoku perhaps – also makes a lot of sense given the 12 personnel this offense also likes to operate from. The team has put the tag on Pitts, so he will be returning to Atlanta for at least 2026 until they complete a long-term deal. But as I mentioned…bringing back Pitts does not exclude Atlanta from the tight end market. Veteran Austin Hooper was brought in to fill the Y tight end role. Played with Stefanski in Cleveland. Also caught passes from Matt Ryan.

The Falcons also need to address the tackle position and IOL with FAs hitting those areas.

RT Kaleb McGary will also be returning from a season-ending knee injury in 2026.

Could also see WR given how poor Darnell Mooney was in 2025 (although he seemed like he was playing through injuries the entire season). The depth behind Mooney/Drake London was absurd for the Falcons. Mooney was released.

The Falcons signed a bunch of JAG WRs – Jahan Dotson, Olamide Zaccheaus – to ensure a highly concentrated target share between Bijan, London and Pitts.

Defensively, the pass rush finally came alive last season. One of the few bright spots in a disappointing year for the Dirty Birds overall.

But then edge rusher James Pearce Jr. had to go and get arrested, putting his status in doubt for next year (and future years, given the prior regime traded up for him).

So just like death and taxes…pass rush is back on the Falcons’ draft/needs board.

Otherwise, bolstering the secondary would be priority No. 1. Dee Alford left as a free agent. However, Billy Bowman could kick inside and defend the slot (he got hurt last season).

LB Kaden Ellis also left as a free agent and led the team in snaps on defense. Divine Deablo will be a free agent in 2027 after missing games with injuries last year. They signed Christian Harris (one-year deal).

And even though pass rush was much better in 2025, there are a lot of bodies on the DL/EDGE that might walk in free agency (regardless of how Pearce’s situation shakes out). So, more defensive line depth is really needed here (particularly the interior). According to the Athletic…six of the nine interior defensive linemen who played for Atlanta last year are impending free agents or already gone.

Matt Ryan said in his opening news conference that his team would stop the run this year.

He also echoed that sentiment on an episode of “This Is Football” with Kevin Clark: Opened with running the football well, stopping the opponent from running the football well, etc.

The Falcons’ new GM is Ian Cunningham, who has been the Bears’ assistant GM since 2022. Started with the Ravens, and did personnel stuff with the Eagles as well. A lot of experience from some strong drafting teams that tend not to let value slip down the board.

Also learned a lot from those teams, building through the trenches across the OL and DL.

And given Cunningham’s ties to the Bears, possibly he could make a move for a player on the trade block, such as D.J. Moore. Instead, he made a trade with the Eagles to acquire safety Sydney Brown. Likely getting ahead of all the FA safeties they have in 2027.

Cole Kmet and Raiders No. 2 TE Michael Mayer also played with Rees at Notre Dame.

Smart draft strategy and free-agent spending will be key for Atlanta, given that they do not have a first-round pick (traded to the Rams to select Pearce in last year’s draft). A move aging like spoiled milk.

Cunningham recently stated on ESPN that he wants to build his team through the draft, following the three principles: “draft, develop, and retain.”

And he loves draft picks.