The Atlanta Falcons were busy during the opening week of free agency, signing players from Tua Tagovailoa to Jahan Dotson to Samson Ebukam and Christian Harris. It was a strong showing in the first offseason from the new regime, especially for GM Ian Cunningham for holding his ground and not spending too much.
Things haven't been all hunky-dory, though. Kaden Elliss, Tyler Allgeier, David Onyemata, and Dee Alford left in free agency, and Arnold Ebiketie followed suit a few days later. That's a lot of holes that Cunningham and Kevin Stefanski will need to fill during the 2026 NFL Draft, especially since they had major needs beforehand too.
Once the end of April rolls around, the Falcons will have their next opportunity to patch those holes, so now that free agency is mostly in the rearview, let's look at how Cunningham's first draft with the Dirty Birds could shake out and put a spotlight on what he could do with just five selections in 2026.
No trades, no funny business, just five picks and how this could go. Let's roll.
What will a Falcons' seven-round mock draft after a tubulent start to the offseason?
Round 2 | Pick 48: Keith Abney II - CB, Arizona State
Just because Cunningham doesn't have a first-round pick at his disposal doesn't mean he can't find value, and Keith Abney is a damn good football player. His eight passes defensed in 2025 tied for eighth in the nation and was one more than consensus CB1 Mansoor Delane had for the LSU Tigers.
With this selection, the Falcons now have their cornerback trio of the future with A.J. Terrell and Abney on the outside and Billy Bowman Jr. manning the nickel. And the beauty of this pick is that Mike Hughes can take on additional snaps until the 21-year-old carves out a full-time starting role.
This kid is an absolute playmaker. He has a track (and speed skating) background, he is physical in man coverage, and a young, energetic DB like Abney would be a perfect fit for an Atlanta defense that's looking to revamp its identity.
Round 3 | Pick 79: Anthony Hill Jr. - LB, Texas
Elliss is not an easy man to replace, but if anybody can do it, Anthony Hill Jr. can. Previously regarded as a potential first-round pick before the season, Hill has spent the last three seasons making plays for the Texas Longhorns, and landing the two-time All American outside the top 64 is amazing value.
I think we all know by now that Jeff Ulbrich loves linebackers with athleticism, and the 21-year-old has athleticism up the wazoo. He also has good size at 6-foot-2 and 238 pounds, so while his 4.51 40-yard dash was slower than expected, he plays much faster than that and possesses elite football IQ.
I know the Falcons have Divine Deablo and just signed Christian Harris and Channing Tindall, but all three of them will be free agents after the season, and betting on Harris is still risky. So if they really want to replace Elliss with someone who can seamlessly take over at green dot, Hill is that guy.
Round 4 | Pick 114: Brennen Thompson - WR, Mississippi State
I'm willing to bet many of you said "finally" when a receiver finally comes off the board for Atlanta in Round 4, and I can't blame you. But for a Falcons' offense that needs a speedster to replace Darnell Mooney, a burner like Brennen Thompson makes sense after he met with the team at the combine.
Thompson's 4.26 second 40 time compensated for measuring in at 5-foot-9 3/8 and 164 pounds. He needs to put on weight to succeed in the NFL, but at the very least can be a solid deep threat since the Falcons need to add more than just Jahan Dotson and Olamide Zaccheus behind Drake London.
Round 6 | Pick 196: Zane Durant - DL, Penn State
Speaking of "finally", we finally see a defensive tackle come off the board. The Falcons were horrible at stuffing the run in 2025, so they need to add big bodies in that area. But after Cunningham added three defensive tackles in free agency, it's not nearly as pressing of a need as other positions are.
There has been speculation that Zach Harrison could be dealt, but otherwise, Atlanta has solid young DTs in Harrison, Brandon Dorlus, and Ruke Orhorhoro. Da'Shawn Hand will play a role too, so even though Durant is wildly undersized at 6-foot-1 1/8 and 290 pounds, he's a freak athlete on the IDL, which was evidenced by his 4.75 40-yard dash at the combine.
He logged 11 tackles for loss as a junior in 2024, so while his size may cause him to slip down the board a bit, he's still plenty productive. So as a fourth-round projected player, Durant is certainly worth a dart throw in the sixth round of the draft.
Round 7 | Pick 231: Taylen Green - QB, Arkansas
With the grand finale, I had to do something a little out of the box. The Falcons already have a set QB room with Michael Penix Jr. and Tua Tagovaioa since the latter signed last week. but neither of them have particularly high upside. So knowing how Stefanski operates, I'm sure he's ready to roll the dice.
If we are talking about high-upside players in the late rounds of this draft, look no further than Taylen Green. He's nearly 6-foot-6 and 227 pounds, yet has one of the rarest QB profiles you will ever see. A 4.36 40-yard dash time, a 43.5" vertical jump, and an 11.2" broad jump are unprecedented for a QB, especially one with his arm talent.
As evidenced by guys like Anthony Richardson and Joe Milton, these guys often don't work out in the NFL, but for a team that has nothing to lose at the quarterback position, it's worth a gamble on his tools, especially in the seventh round.