All offseason long, the Atlanta Falcons' new regime has preached winning in the trenches, and while that's expected to be a priority early on in the 2026 NFL Draft, that's not the only area of Jeff Ulbrich's defense that needs to be addressed. They can't leave the weekend without adding to the secondary.
Even if the front office disagrees and sees DB as less of a priority as something like DT or LB, the way the draft board goes may force them to consider the secondary at pick 48. If Lee Hunter and Christen Miller are off the board, odds are that a top cornerback dropped, which should leave Ulbrich happy.
As it stands right now, the Falcons' CB2 is Mike Hughes, and he's not a viable option in the short or long-term. He could easily transition to nickel corner in place of Billy Bowman Jr., so if there's a certain cornerback that's catching Atlanta's eye, they may not be far off from finding a new running mate for A.J. Terrell on the back-end.
The Atlanta Falcons must consider drafting Treydan Stukes with Pick 48
In terms of finding that player, one man makes sense is Arizona's Treydan Stukes. Not only did the Dirty Birds conduct a 30 visit with him, Stukes has been one the biggest risers amid the pre-draft process, as he's basically a Day 2 lock who has a chance to be off the board as early as the top 40.
The All-American cornerback boasts more than just the versatility to shine in Ulbrich's defense, though. While he has the bandwidth to play on the boundary, on the nickel, or even at safety, his athleticism is the main reason NFL teams are so taken with Stukes' versatility within the secondary.
At 6-foot-1 and 190 pounds, Stukes ran a 4.33 second 40-yard dash at the combine, while his 10-foot-10 inch broad jump and 38-inch vertical jump also turned heads. And that's the sort of versatility and athleticism that Ulbrich tends to prefer from his defenders, especially those in the secondary.
Think about the Sydney Brown trade the Falcons made earlier this offseason. He's an athletic safety who also played in the nickel for the Philadelphia Eagles. It'll be easy for Ulbrich to find ways to keep him on the field. And Stukes is a similar case, especially with his tackling ability and nose for the ball.
Some NFL teams see Stukes as more of a safety, while others see him as more of a big nickel. But with the Falcons, he could be the short-term nickel who could eventually transition to the boundary in Hughes' place-- or even step in next to Xavier Watts at safety if Jessie Bates leaves next offseason.
So in the event that Stukes is available for Atlanta at pick 48, it's gonna be really difficult for Ian Cunningham and Kevin Stefanski to pass on this type of elite playmaker for Ulbrich's defense.
Add us as a preferred source on Google