Wide receiver has been heralded as one of the biggest needs the Atlanta Falcons have to fill this offseason, as Drake London can't carry the load all by himself. He may be circling a long-term extension in Atlanta, but that deal will only be worth it if the Falcons bring in an explosive WR2.
The Falcons already signed Jahan Dotson and Olamide Zaccheus this offseason, but Zaccheus is on a one-year deal and it's unclear if Dotson will be a long-term fix. So Atlanta needs to look at an impressive wide receiver class at some point during the 2026 NFL Draft, and the earlier the better.
However, Field Yates, Matt Miller, Mel Kiper, and Jordan Reid of ESPN think the Dirty Birds are better off waiting a bit to draft a wideout. In their new three-round mock draft, they had Atlanta passing on a wide receiver to double-dip on defensive side of the football, adding two different impact players.
New ESPN mock draft confirms the Falcons can afford to wait on drafting a WR
With the 48th pick, Yates had the Falcons drafting Florida defensive tackle Caleb Banks, an athletic freak of a nose tackle who will help fix their struggles against the run. He's a first-round talent only falling down the board due to injury concerns, as a foot issue is expected to keep him out until June.
Then at pick 79, Reid had them drafting Ohio State's Davison Igbinosun, who Atlanta got a close look at by sending Tanner Engstrand to the Buckeyes' Pro Day. Igbinosun is a long, physical player with solid athleticism, and could easily supplant Mike Hughes as the long-term CB2 opposite A.J. Terrell.
While the quartet had the Falcons passing on a wideout, they addressed their two other biggest needs instead. And since the wide receiver class is one of the deepest parts of this 2026 draft class, they could still come away with an impact pass-catcher in the early fourth round if things go their way.
The Falcons don't need someone like Zachariah Branch or Germie Bernard in Round 2 when they could chase better value later on. Someone like Ted Hurst, Bryce Lance, or even Brenen Thompson could slip into early Day 3, and I would prefer one of them if it means filling those other needs first.
It's easier now than ever before to find receivers who can contribute, so what good does it do the Falcons to reach for one? Ian Cunningham has been all about value in his first offseason as Atlanta's general manager, but he should also know that you draft the best player available at all times.
The Falcons are a team where they have enough holes where they can go any which way this draft, but DT and CB are not as deep as WR. As this mock proved, they can afford to wait on a wideout and someone can fall into their lap, but the odds of this happening anywhere else is slim-to-none.