The Atlanta Falcons have officially entered a new era, recently hiring Kevin Stefanski to be the team’s head coach. Soon, the Falcons will add a general manager to the party, and the new duo will start their journey of trying to build the Falcons into a contender. They will do so without a first-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Atlanta traded its pick to the Los Angles Rams during last year’s draft to select James Pearce Jr. Considering Pearce’s 10.5 sacks, it’s safe to say the team doesn’t regret that choice. But barring another trade, Matt Ryan's first draft as Falcons' president of football will start with the 48th pick.
Luckily, there will still be plenty of promising prospects still on the board, and a recent mock draft predicts the Falcons will land one of the most exciting players in the class.
In a 2026 three-round mock draft done by FanSided's own Mike Luciano, Luciano had Atlanta selecting Georgia wide receiver Zachariah Branch in the second round, and Arkansas cornerback Julian Neal in the third round.
Falcons land Zachariah Branch and Julian Neal in recent mock draft
Branch, who broke onto the scene as an explosive freshman at USC, finished his college career with the local Georgia Bulldogs. The junior had his best season as a receiver, catching 81 passes for 811 yards and six touchdowns. He also added 180 punt return yards and 205 kick return yards.
His return skills would certainly be welcomed by the Falcons, with Luciano saying, “Not only will Branch be an immediate No. 2 wide receiver behind Drake London, but his speed will give the Atlanta offense a new flavor they haven't had for a while.” And he's dead on after Darnell Mooney's down year.
Julian Neal, on the other hand, is wrapping up his college career after five seasons. He spent his first four seasons at Fresno State, and ended things at Arkansas. A 6-foot-2, 200-pound defensive back, Neal had four interceptions in the last two years and 18 pass deflections. He would join a talented young defense in Atlanta, and would have the chance to contribute to a promising secondary.
With the NFL playoffs still going on, draft season is just getting started. Teams’ boards will undergo plenty of change in the next few months, and the draft order will surely change as trades take place. It’ll be interesting to see where the Falcons fit into everything.