In their first draft under a new regime, the Atlanta Falcons enter the 2026 NFL Draft at a serious disadvantage. They have no first-round pick, they have just five picks at the moment, which puts additional pressure on Ian Cunningham to hit on Atlanta's first selection at No. 48 overall, but the Indianapolis Colts, picking at 47th, could complcate things.
While making FanSided's new interactive NFL Draft big board, I pinpointed Georgia defensive tackle Christen Miller as one of the Falcons' dream targets if he falls to 48. I placed him third behind Caleb Banks and Max Iheanachor, two players where I would be genuinely stunned if they dropped that far.
That means that of the five targets listed for the Falcons, Miller is clearly the most viable, especially since he would be the stout run defender Atlanta has coveted to step in at nose tackle. The only problem here is that many other teams have Miller in their crosshairs too, which includes the Colts.
The Indianapolis Colts could draft Christen Miller one pick before the Falcons get a chance to
Horsehoe Heroes' expert Lee Vowell pinpointed Miller as the Colts' second-best target at pick 47 (behind Chris Bell), which is bad news for the Falcons. If Cunningham misses out on a perfect draft target one pick before he has the chance to draft him, that would be the worst start to his first draft.
Vowell noted that the Indianapolis defensive line is starting to get old, and Chris Ballard should start looking into some long-term successors-- like Miller. Both DeForest Buckner and Grover Stewart are on the wrong side of 30, so for a defensive line looking to get younger, he would be a perfect fit.
Just like he would in red and black, the 21-year-old would command defensive attention to help the Colts' young crop of edge rushers, while also being a major help to Indianapolis' run defense. At 6-foot-4 and 320 pounds, he is a massive human who would be a great start to the draft for either team.
Thankfully, the Colts have other needs like receiver after trading away Michael Pittman Jr., but the defensive front are in their early draft plans. Four of the five players Vowell listed as needs for Indianapolis play on the defensive line, so even if it isn't Miller, it could be another Falcons' target.
Miller has been floated by some as a potential first-round pick in this draft, but the more accurate outcome is that he's one of the first players to hear his name called on Day 2. Him falling all the way to the Falcons 48 would be a miracle, but teams picking before them like the Colts may spoil that dream.
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