After the Atlanta Falcons lost Kaden Elliss in free agency, it felt inevitable that were going to add to the linebacker room during the 2026 NFL Draft. And they just did exactly that with their first selection on Saturday afternoon, as they took Oklahoma linebacker Kendal Daniels with the 134th overall pick.
After trading down 12 spots with the Las Vegas Raiders and picking up an extra sixth-round pick, Ian Cunningham and this new regime were content to take Daniels at 134. And if you look at the surface on this pick, Daniels is the type of chess piece that Jeff Ulbrich will love for this Atlanta defense.
The Falcons' draft history has shown that Ulbrich values versatility, and Daniels offers that. They announced him as a linebacker, but at 6-foot-5 and 242 pounds, he played safety at Oklahoma. In fact, he played a linebacker/safety hybrid, and at that size and with his speed, he is a total freak.
The Atlanta Falcons landed another chess piece for Jeff Ulbrich's defense in Kendal Daniels
The 23-year-old didn't test exceptionally well at the combine, but his frame, you cannot teach that. He also isn't an exceptional run defender, but in typical Ulbrich fashion, they are betting on the upside of a player who can offer them multi-position versatility as this defense enjoys a new infusion of youth.
The Dirty Birds signed two high-upside linebackers in free agency in Christian Harris and Channing Tindall, but were not content with adding those two into the fold with Divine Deablo. Elliss is a difficult player to replace, but at least Atlanta now has a rotation of linebackers they feel are up to the task.
As a nickel or dime linebacker the Falcons can rely on with his versatility, he's a much better fit for what Atlanta covets compared to someone like the undersized Kyle Louis.
Add us as a preferred source on Google