The Atlanta Falcons will enter the 2026 NFL draft without a first-round pick, having sent it to the Los Angeles Rams last April in a trade-up. That move landed them edge rusher James Pearce, who has played incredibly well during the second half of the season.

Nevertheless, the Falcons seem like a rudderless ship and need weapons for quarterback Michael Penix Jr., as well as run stuffers on the defensive line.

Falcons’ needs ahead of the 2026 NFL season

1) Wide Receiver

The receiver position in Atlanta begins and ends with Drake London. While London remains a star, the Falcons’ receiving corps lacks depth.

Former free-agent signing Darnell Mooney has struggled with injury and may not be back next year, as the Falcons have a potential out in his deal.

Even when healthy, he’s never lived up to the promise he showed in his first two seasons in the league with the Chicago Bears. This season, he has just 29 catches and is on track to set a new career low in receptions.

David Sills V, the team’s third starting wideout, has 17 receptions this season.

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2) Nose tackle

Atlanta plays a traditional three-man front with a true nose tackle that’s been pushed around this season. The defense is allowing 4.6 yards per carry, which is in the bottom third of the league.

3) Tight End

Kyle Pitts is having a terrific season, his best since his rookie year, but he is in the final year of his rookie deal as a first-round pick.

Atlanta has a big decision to make considering Pitts’ inconsistency. Do they roll the dice and re-sign the former first-round pick to a big-money deal or let him walk?

Atlanta Falcons Mock Draft

ROUND 2: Chris Bell/WR/Louisville

Bell is admittedly a risky pick, considering he recently underwent surgery for a torn knee ligament and won’t be fully healthy until the end of summer camp. Yet the payoff could be huge, as he’ll team with London to give Penix a pair of big-bodied, dependable, playmaking pass catchers.

ROUND 3: Eli Stowers/TE/Vanderbilt

Stowers is a terrific pass-catching tight end who has been productive in each of the last three seasons. He’s not the athlete Pitts is, but he’s more polished and complete than the 2021 first-rounder was entering the draft.

ROUND 4: Domonique Orange/NT/Iowa State

Orange is a pure nose tackle/zero-technique lineman with a wide build, great power, and the ability to hold the point against double-team blocks.