It's become clear now that the Atlanta Falcons could go a multitude of different directions with the 48th pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. This roster has so many holes that it shouldn't be too difficult for Ian Cunningham and Kevin Stefanski to draft someone who will make an instant impact on this roster.
Since they have no first-round pick, it turned up the heat on Cunningham to hit on the player drafted at 48. It could be a WR, a cornerback, a nose tackle, or even an offensive tackle to replace the aging Jake Matthews. But, the Falcons could bet on long-term upside at tackle behind Matthews instead.
And that's exactly what ESPN analyst Field Yates has them doing. In Yates' new two-round mock draft, he has the Dirty Birds drafting Arizona State offensive tackle Max Iheanachor with the 48th overall pick, so even though Matthews' contract was restructured, who knows how his future in Atlanta looks.
The Atlanta Falcons could be ready to start preparing for life without Jake Matthews
As Yates noted, drafting someone like Iheanachor comes with high risk, but also high reward. The All-Big 12 tackle has only been playing football for five years since he never played in high school. That's a very raw talent, but luckily, they wouldn't be forced to play him meaningful snaps from the jump.
Matthews just turned 34 and has been the ironman of Atlanta's offensive line for quite some time now, but frankly, he's started to decline in recent seasons. The Pro Bowl tackle is still plenty consistent, but if the opportunity arises, it wouldn't be ridiculous for Cunningham to prepare for life without him, especially since that may be coming sooner than we realize.
The issue is that the former first-round pick is under contract through 2028, but there's an out in his deal that cost the Falcons $20.5 million in dead cap if he's cut next offseason. That alone may not be worth it, but Kaleb McGary is 31 and missed all season due to a knee injury, so Iheanachor could play the right side too.
Ideally, he steps in as a swing tackle until given the opportunity as a full-time starter, since he is very obviously a project who Bill Callahan is going to have to mold into a quality tackle. But at almost 6-foot-6 and 321 pounds, he is one big human who is a fantastic athlete given his athletic background.
One of McGary or Matthews having red flags is one thing, but both starting tackles having questionable futures means that drafting Iheanachor makes sense, even if the Falcons do have bigger (and more immediate) needs to fill that can help them compete as anticipated in 2026.
So if Cunningham and Stefanski are truly concerned about the trenches, banking on the upside of a raw talent like Iheanachor could be the way to go.