The 2026 NFL Draft is officially complete, and with that, so Ian Cunningham's first draft as the general manager of the Atlanta Falcons. I'm sure it wasn't as busy as he would've liked, but since the Falcons were only able to make six picks, expect them to be key players in the undrafted free agent market.
The Falcons came into this draft with some holes they evidently wanted to fill with their picks, and they came out of the weekend with some true athletes all over the field. They added versatility, athleticism, and youth, and those draft trends have continued in the undrafted free agent market.
With no first-round pick, the deck was stacked against Cunningham, Kevin Stefanski, and Matt Ryan all weekend long, but that didn't faze them. They drafted a first-round talent on Day 2 in Avieon Terrell, an electric WR in Zachariah Branch, and some high-upside weapons for Jeff Ulbrich's defense, but the six-player class will move aside for the UDFAs.
Here are all of the players the Dirty Birds have signed thus far:
1. Minnesota State-Morehead QB Jack Strand
The Falcons' decision to conduct a 30 visit with Minnesota State-Morehead QB Jack Strand was believed to be a weird one, but it makes sense now. The Division -II standout garnered some buzz later in the draft process, but the 21-year-old will now compete to be Atlanta's QB3 in camp.
The 6-foot-5, 240-pound Strand finished as a nominee for the Harlon Hill Trophy (essentially the D2 Heisman) in each of his final three seasons. He will play be Michael Penix Jr., Tua Tagovailoa, and Trevor Siemian in the pecking order, but the strong-armed youngster has upside as QB insurance.
2. Wisconsin OL Riley Mahlman
Wisconsin is often one of the colleges consistently producing quality NFL linemen, and the Falcons are turning to the Badger well for the second straight year. Atlanta drafted his Wisconsin teammate Jack Nelson in the seventh round of the 2025 NFL Draft, and they want those grass-fed big boys.
And saying Mahlman is a big boy is an understatement. At 6-foot-8 and 320 pounds he is mammoth, so for a Falcons team looking for hog mollies in the trenches amid uncertainty at tackle, Bill Callahan will give him a chance to prove himself (and compete with his former teammate) this summer.
3. Houston DT Carlos Allen
After Atlanta gambled on the athleticism of Anterio Thompson, they didn't want to bet on upside in trying to find a new Grady Jarrett. This time around they wanted to turn to more proven production in the UDFA market.
Not only did Allen lead the Cougars with 80 tackles in 2025, he led all FBS interior defensive linemen. His 27 run stops also led the Big 12 and were third-most in the FBS among interior defensive linemen, so for a team looking to improve against the run, Allen is the perfect UDFA signing to pursue.
4. Minnesota WR Le'Meke Brockington
Le'Meke Brockington led Minnesota football with 46 receptions in 2025, but that's not why he stands out as an UDFA for the Falcons. At 6-foot and 195 pounds, he adds athleticism as a gamble to a receiver room that's pretty wide open, but failed to stand out for a struggling Gophers team.
5. Wisconsin WR Vinny Anthony
Anthony lacks top-end speed. He didn't have a great combine, or a great Senior Bowl for that matter, but he can contribute in several ways. He can operate as a return man if need be, he can be a pass-catcher, and has occasionally lined up at running back, which is the versatility Stefanski lives for.
And that veratility is likely why his $265,000 is fully guaranteed.
6. Georgia Tech WR Malik Rutherford
This is not the speedy Georgia Tech receiver I was hoping to see end up with Atlanta in UDFA, but I cannot complain. Rutherford is undersized but dangerous after the catch out of the slot, but since he would likely offer the same as Zachariah Branch, I don't see him as more than just a camp addition.
7. Miami (FL) C James Brockermeyer
Brockermeyer had stints at Alabama and TCU before Miami, but his career took off with the Hurricanes. He made the All-ACC Third Team this past season and shined at the Senior Bowl, so given the long-term uncertainty at center with Ryan Neuzil, this is my favorite UDFA pickup to date.
8. Michigan State TE Jack Velling
The tape at Michigan State was not good, but Jack Velling had eight touchdown receptions for Oregon State back in 2023. He has 15 touchdowns across his four college seasons, so even though he didn't test well, he has proven he can be a solid red zone threat if given the opportunity.
And the added bonus is that he was college teammates with Falcons' RB Nate Carter.
- MSU-Morehead QB Jack Strand
- Wisconsin OL Riley Mahlman
- Houston DT Carlos Allen
- Minnesota WR Le'Meke Brockington
- Wisconsin WR Vinny Anthony
- Georgia Tech WR Malik Rutherford
- Miami C James Brockermeyer
- Michigan State TE Jack Velling
- Akron CB Malcolm DeWalt IV
- Texas A&M OL Kam Dewberry
9. Georgia RB Cash Jones
Jones is predominantly a third-down back, as he caught 20 passes for 195 yards and a touchdown for Georgia in 2025. Bijan Robinson will assume most of the RB work and Brian Robinson is the bruiser, but it sounds like he will be given a chance to compete with Carter for Atlanta's RB3 position.
`10. Alabama OL Kam Dewberry
Kam Dewberry spent the prior three seasons at Texas A&M, but spent 2025 as the left guard at Alabama next to Miami Dolphins' first-round pick Kadyn Proctor blocking for Ty Simpson. He was a four-star recruit out of high school and will compete to offer the Falcons additional guard depth.
11. Akron CB Malcolm DeWalt IV
The Falcons haven't been linked to many UDFA corners after drafting Avieon Terrell at 48, but Malcolm DeWalt has some nice production. At 6-foot-2 and 200 pounds, DeWalt logged 58 total tackles and eight pass breakups for Akron in 2025, so he could be be a high-upside UDFA signing.
12. Duke WR Andrel Anthony
Andrel Anthony spent the last five seasons in college, but was unable to stick anywhere. He started off at Michigan, left for Oklahoma, and spent his final season at Duke, where he logged a career-high five TD catches. But even with solid size and speed, he'll have a lot of competition to make the roster.
13. Miami WR Keelan Marion
Keelan Marion was a First-Team All-American as a return man with BYU in 2024, but had a career year as a receiver with Miami after transferring in. He didn't run well at the combine but plays faster, so for depth at receiver and on special teams, it's worth taking a shot on a quick but unathletic receiver.
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