The Atlanta Falcons' pass rush was historic in 2025. The Dirty Birds broke the franchise single-season sack record and finished second in the NFL behind the Broncos. With a complete overhaul of leadership in Atlanta, the one remaining cornerstone is Jeff Ulbrich, the defensive coordinator.
As he looks to replicate his 2025 success, the Falcons must continue to bolster the defense, especially with James Pearce Jr's current legal uncertainty. With that in mind, we shift our focus to draft season, where PFF's Gordon McGuinness gifted the Falcons with an interesting pickup in round two of his three-round mock draft.
With the 48th overall pick, McGuinness has the Dirty Birds staying put and selecting EDGE rusher R. Mason Thomas from Oklahoma. Thomas only has two full seasons as a starter under his belt, but he performed well in each. In 2024, he recorded nine sacks and a forced fumble as a junior.
New PFF mock draft gave the Atlanta Falcons a replacement for Kyle Pitts and Arnold Ebiketie/James Pearce Jr.
Thomas followed that up with a 6.5-sack, two forced-fumble performance through nine games of his senior campaign. The 6-foot-2 defensive lineman missed some time late in the season with a hamstring injury, but would add stability if Pearce is suspended and Arnold Ebiketie is not back.
He has great speed around the edge and enough power to consistently push linemen back into the quarterback. Thomas boasts consistent college production, which will boost his draft stock significantly. If the Falcons can land him in the middle of the second round, they'd be adding a strong young edge rusher.
In the third round of this mock draft, McGuinness gives the Falcons their long awaited Kyle Pitts replacement. With the 79th pick, Atlanta ends up picking tight end Michael Trigg from Baylor. The senior just finished his fifth collegiate season, each one better than the other. Trigg caught 50 passes for 694 yards and six touchdowns in 2025.
Trigg has been described as a slot weapon in a tight end's body, and his production sure shows it. The 6'4'' tight end was second on the team in receiving yards and touchdowns. He also secured the third-most receiving yards among tight ends last season, despite playing fewer games than both prospects above him.
Trigg would be a strong, proven playmaker added to the Falcons' offense. Kyle Pitts has been a disappointment for far too long, and the Falcons desperately need a playmaker to come in and perform at a high level. Lucky for Trigg, the target share is wide open.
Assuming Pitts is not retained, there are conversations about Darnell Mooney being cut, and the only other threats in the passing game are Drake London and Bijan Robinson. If the Falcons can pick Trigg up in the third round and come away with this outcome, there will be a party in Atlanta on draft night.