Because of their financial predicament, the Atlanta Falcons are going to have to part with some key free agents. It's tough, but it's the nature of the business in sports. Ian Cunningham knew exactly what he signed up for when he took the Falcons' GM job, but that doesn't make it sting any less.
One of those players whose on the chopping block is veteran defensive tackle David Onyemata, who was a key contributor for Jeff Ulbrich's defense once again. But he isn't getting any younger, and Brandon Dorlus, Ruke Orhorhoro, and Zach Harrison are the future of this interior defensive line.
However, the Dirty Birds still had one of the worst run defenses in football in 2025 and desperately need a nose tackle to clog the middle, especially if Onyemata leaves as expected. In FanSided's own Cody Williams' post-Super Bowl three-round mock draft, he has the Falcons getting creative.
Since they don't have a first-round pick, Atlanta won't be on the clock until the 48th pick, which Williams had them using to forego the offensive side of the football to select Texas Tech defensive tackle Lee Hunter.
Falcons replace David Onyemata by drafting Senior Bowl standout Lee Hunter in FanSided's latest mock draft
Following a standout performance at the Senior Bowl, Hunter has been one of the biggest risers throughout the pre-draft process. The All-American DL shined in Mobile and has even garnered some late first-round buzz, but is widely projected to be a second-round draft pick in the 2026 Draft.
The 6-foot-4, 330-pound DL is an absolute beast who moves incredibly well for his size. He's deceptively athletic for a nose tackle and is a good run stuffer, but Hunter does also have good pass-rushing chops, which would complement Dorlus and Harrison, two primary pass-rushing DTs, well.
The Falcons desperately need run-stuffing juice, especially if Onyemata leaves, especially if he follows Raheem Morris to San Francisco. And Hunter is arguably the best run-stuffing defensive tackle in this draft, better than many of the DTs that are projected to be drafted before him in April.
Hunter may not be getting the attention of his Red Raider teammate David Bailey, or even guys like Peter Woods and Caleb Banks, but he deserves to be in the upper echelon of prospects at his position. So if he blows up the combine, he could very well receive late first-round consideration.
Now that the NFL Draft order is finally set in stone, this time of year is when mock drafts are starting to get a grasp on how things can truly play out once the clock goes off in Pittsburgh.