With the 48th pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, we have absolutely no idea who the Atlanta Falcons will select. Other than some positions they could address with the selection, the roster has enough needs where they could go a plethora of different directions, adding intrigue to kick off Friday night.
This pick comes with a lot of pressure. Not only will it be their first pick of the draft due to the James Pearce Jr. trade, it'll be the first player drafted in the Kevin Stefanski and Ian Cunningham era. And Terry Fontenot's draft track record has Falcons fans ready to see them right his wrongs in Atlanta.
It can be a receiver, it can be a cornerback, it can even a defensive tackle. It could even be someone on the offensive line. But the fact of the matter, it doesn't matter what position they draft. It should just be who they deem the best player available regardless of any sort of needs or positional value.
However, a new seven-round mock draft from ESPN analyst Jordan Reid has Atlanta doing something they often don't do at Pick 48. He has them drafting Georgia State wide receiver Ted Hurst, someone who has been frequently mocked to them, but never as early as the middle of the second round.
The Atlanta Falcons could draft a wide receiver earlier than fans expect
Hurst is someone whose been a rapid riser up the draft board throughout the pre-draft process, going from a likely third-round pick to a second-round talent with a chance to go in the top 50. The 21-year-old is a prototypical "X" receiver with size, speed, and a 60.4% career contested catch rate.
For the receiver-needy Falcons, he would be the perfect complement to Drake London and Jahan Dotson as the long-term WR2. He's an elite big-play threat who would immediately make his life easier. The only reason he hasn't gotten even more buzz is because he played for a small school.
After Hurst, Reid has the Dirty Birds drafting (in order), Ohio State CB Davison Igbinosun, Michigan DT Rayshaun Benny, Maryland OT Alan Heron, and Alabama LB Deontae Lawson with their other four picks, so they hit all of their major needs, just in a different order than most fans expect them to.
Typically. mock drafts have seen Atlanta go with a defensive tackle and cornerback with their first pick, while taking a receiver in Round 3 or 4, capitalizing on the depth at arguably the strongest position in the 2026 NFL Draft, but Hurst won't last until their third-round pick at No. 79 overall.
It's refreshing to see a mock draft that has the Falcons doing something a little different by switching up the order, since most of them have them doing the same thing. But if no top DT or CB drops to that 48th pick, it's not crazy to think Hurst has a real shot to be the pick.
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