The 2026 NFL Draft isn't until the end of April, but that hasn't stopped the football world from putting their draft caps on. Now that the Senior Bowl is in the books we are officially in draft season, but the Atlanta Falcons don't have a first-round pick, which is taking all the fun out of the pre-draft process.
While the Falcons aren't at the center of the chaos, a lot can still go wrong for them. The NFC South is incredibly tight as it is and they aren't on the clock until the 48th pick, which has really hindered the speculation that runs rampant for other teams this time of year, but some fans (like me) are unfazed.
In Pro Football Focus writer Trevor Sikkema's mock draft, he has a nightmare scenario as such brewing in Atlanta. With the No. 8 pick, Sikkema has the bitter rival New Orleans Saints coming away with one of the top offensive difference-makers in this draft class in Notre Dame's Jeremiyah Love.
Saints grab a game-changing talent in latest PFF mock, which spells trouble for the Falcons
If you ask me, Love is the best running back prospect we've seen since Bijan Robinson. He comes with size, speed, explosiveness, and balance-- basically everything you could want from an RB prospect. This guy is going to be a nightmare for defenses to stop as soon as he steps into the NFL.
For as talented as he is, Love landing in New Orleans is even worse. There's already a young, fun offensive nucleus brewing in the Big Easy, led by Tyler Shough, who impressed in limited action as a rookie. They're still a game-changing weapon away from being feared on offense again, but Love is exactly that.
Enter Love. The 20-year-old ran for 1,372 and 18 touchdowns en route to finishing third in Heisman Trophy voting this year despite Jadarian Price eating into his workload. He was also the beating heart of a Notre Dame team that went 10-2 this year, which is similar to how the Falcons relied on Bijan.
The Saints also have a major need for help at running back. They finished 28th in the NFL in rushing yards per game in 2025 because of mediocre RB rotation. After Alvin Kamara went down, they were forced to turn to Audric Estime and Devin Neal, two players who aren't exactly world-beaters.
As for Alvin Kamara, it seems like his time in New Orleans is coming to an end after he showed major signs of regression this year. He logged career-lows in both rushing yards and rushing touchdowns, but unfortunately for the Falcons, the Saints have a golden opportunity to draft his successor in Love.