With their sixth-round pick, the Atlanta Falcons drafted one of the most intriguing players in the 2026 NFL Draft in Washington defensive tackle Anterio Thompson. As far as Day 3 upside picks go, Thompson is someone with the potential to develop into a solid contributor for this Atlanta defense.
Not only does the 23-year-old have a fantastic story about rising his way up from the juco ranks, he clearly made an impression on Jeff Ulbrich and Nate Ollie. And they're not the only ones. Even in just one season with the Huskies, Thompson stood out in regards to Washington head coach Jedd Fisch.
After Huskies' defensive linemen Thompson and Zach Durfee were drafted last weekend, Fisch told some untold stories about two of his prized defenders. And his words about Thompson confirmed that he's the sort of player who often doesn't take very long to catch the eye of his coaching staff.
"And then Anterio, coming here in his final year, has also brought a ton of experience, power, strength, and he was a very difficult guy for offenses to stop," Fisch said.
Jedd Fisch had nothing but good things to say about new Falcons' DL Anterio Thompson
Fisch had more to say about Durfee, since he spent more time at the school, but that doesn't mean his words about Thompson shouldn't hold weight. With his journey, not allowing the adversity to bog him down during his college experience is precisely why I doubt he will take this opportunity lightly.
The Dirty Birds need help on the defensive line, notably at defensive tackle, and it appears that Thompson has what it takes to offer that. At nearly 6-foot-2 and 306 pounds, he ran a 4.75 second 40-yard dash and scored a 9.39 RAS, so he'll offer the athleticism and competitiveness Ollie covets.
Some have compared the Iowa native to Falcons' legend Grady Jarrett, as their testing numbers coming out of college are eerily similar. I'm not saying he will become Grady, but having Ollie and Ulbrich oversee the development of a versatile, athletic IDL to complement Brandon Dorlus and Zach Harrison sounds like a recipe for success, especially if he helps to improve the run defense.
Thompson has the potential to be one of the biggest steals of the 2026 NFL Draft, and if Fisch's words are any indication, it seems like he will become just that if he can carve out an early role in the DT rotation
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