The Atlanta Falcons have a major wide receiver problem. Drake London is your X. But after that? There’s a lot left to be desired. In fact, the Falcons ranked 28th in yards and 29th in receptions among NFL WR groups in 2025.
Stefanski recently highlighted what he’s looking for while explaining why Atlanta signed Jahan Dotson and Olamide Zaccheaus. “I think so much of it is finding dominant traits that players have and adding them to the room.”
That’s the blueprint. And when you put that quote next to ESPN NFL Draft analyst Matt Bowen’s list of defining traits from this crop of receiver prospects, a prototype starts to form.
It's clear what sort of wide receivers the Atlanta Falcons are looking to add in the 2026 NFL Draft
- Route runner - Carnell Tate
- Fastest - Brenen Thompson
- Explosive - Omar Cooper Jr.
- Physical - Chris Bell
- Elusive - Zachariah Branch
- Best hands - Hank Beatty
- WR instincts - Antonio Williams
- Getting open - Makai Lemon
- 50/50 balls - Malachi Fields
- Body control - Jordyn Tyson
- Toe tapper - Chris Brazzell II
Notice what shows up repeatedly in bold when you filter this through what Atlanta actually lacks:
- Outside physicality
- Yards after catch
- Ability to win downfield outside the numbers
- Body control on the boundary
- Ball winning traits
That’s a Z receiver profile. Exactly what Derrik Klassen noted the Falcons should be targeting. Now here’s an important thing to note: This isn’t about finding another London. It’s about finding the receiver who does all the stuff London doesn’t have to do.
A deeper dive into the WR prospects
Chris Bell is the “physical” receiver on the list. 6’2”, 222 pounds and a true ball winner outside the numbers. Yes, there’s the ACL recovery. But the talent and the upside is impossible to ignore.
Zachariah Branch doesn’t fit the Z mold. But he fits the dominant trait rule perfectly. He’s a screen game monster (over 80% of catches within 9 yards) and an immediate YAC threat. And he will offer the Falcons value as a return man, which this new regime sees just as important as receiving value.
Malachi Fields is a boundary problem for corners. At 6-foot-4 with elite catch radius and body control, Fields wins where quarterbacks love to throw when things get tight.
Chris Brazzell II is Bowen’s “toe tapper.” Raw? Absolutely. But if Stefanski wants a receiver who can win on the edge of the field where London doesn’t have to live? Brazzell is built for that with his 80-inch wingspan.
The mistake is thinking the Falcons need to find their next star at wide receiver. They don’t. They already have that in London. What they don’t have is the WR who makes London’s life easier, makes the quarterback’s reads cleaner, and makes Stefanski’s offense function the way it’s designed to.
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