The Atlanta Falcons came away with a strong draft class in their first under this new regime, but their 2026 draft class isn't getting enough love because of their lack of draft capital. Still, no one can deny that Ian Cunningham did more with less by drafting Avieon Terrell and Zachariah Branch on Day 2.
For as well as the Falcons did this weekend, they still have to contend with the other three teams in the wide-open NFC South--all of whom actually had their first-round picks. And unfortunately for them, the rest of the NFC South fared just as well, as all four teams came away with some of the most impressive draft classes.
The New Orleans Saints landed multiple instant-impact players, the Bucs drafted perhaps the biggest steal of Day 1, and the Panthers built on their division championship team from 2025. They all made good picks for the most part, but one NFC South pick is starting to make Falcons fans lose sleep.
The Panthers drafting Lee Hunter is a tough development for the Falcons
I'm not referring to the Saints poaching Christen Miller away from Atlanta. I'm referring to a player the Dirty Birds passed on who could very well make them regret it. With the 49th pick in the 2026 Draft, the Panthers moved up for Texas Tech DT Lee Hunter one pick after the Falcons took Avieon Terrell.
I know, I know. It's weird to feel upset about a player the Falcons passed on ending up in the NFC South. If Ian Cunningham wanted him, he'd be in Flowery Branch right now. But Hunter is an absolute mauler where if given the circumstances, you always want him on your side rather than against you.
The 6-foot-3, 218-pound nose tackle is an absolute behemoth. He's a sensational run defender, and for a nose tackle, offers some solid athleticism and pass-rushing juice. Sound like something the Falcons need? Because it should, since they waited until the sixth round to address their need at DT.
The Falcons' offensive line is going to have to contend with a Carolina defense that's gotten much better this offseason. Not only will they have to slow down the duo of Hunter and Derrick Brown, the Panthers backed up the brinks truck to bring Jaelan Phillips and Devin Lloyd home in free agency.
Throw in guys like Jaycee Horn, Tre'Von Moehrig,, and Mike Jackson in the secondary and budding star Nic Scourton on the DL, and Ejiro Evero's defense is set to improve consideraly in 2026. And unfortunately, the selection of Hunter in the middle of the second round should be the cherry on top.
If Terrell wasn't available at 48, I would've wanted Hunter to be the pick. The UCF transfer was elite across his last three college seasons, and would have filled the middle for this Atlanta defensive line with ease. But instead, he'll face them twice a year and make Kevin Stefanski's quest for an NFC South title even harder.
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