Atlanta Falcons Address Glaring Need in Latest NFL Mock Draft from ESPN

Things can change quickly in a year.

The Atlanta Falcons used two first-round draft picks on edge rushers in 2025, and the early returns were good. Jalon Walker was second in the NFL among rookies with 5.5 sacks, led only by fellow first-round pick James Pearce Jr., who lapped the field with 10.5

Fast forward nine months from the end of last season, and Walker is out for the season with an ACL injury, and Pearce is suspended for the first eight games of the year. The Falcons are counting on both to return full strength in 2027, but it's an indication of how quickly things can change in the NFL.

Heading into 2026, the biggest question the Falcons face is at quarterback. They have Tua Tagovailoa on a one-year, $1.21 million deal, Michael Penix Jr. coming off ACL surgery, and preseason phenom Jack Strand likely making the 53-man roster.

Atlanta is hoping at least one of those players can solidify himself as a quarterback of the future for the franchise so they can use the 2027 NFL Draft to address another glaring need: offensive tackle.

The Falcons are financially committed to 34-year-old left tackle Jake Matthews for the 2026 and 2027 seasons after his latest restructure, and they have Jawaan Taylor manning right tackle on a one-year, $5-million non-guaranteed contract.

Atlanta has to address one or both positions in the very near future, and ESPN's Jordan Reid has them doing it next April in his latest mock draft. He has the Falcons taking offensive tackle Trevor Goosby out of Texas with the No. 11 overall pick.

The Falcons have moved from No. 6 to No. 11 in ESPN's Football Power Index since April 30th. Reid had the Falcons taking Goosby at No. 6 in his mock draft then as well.

"The long and agile Goosby is capable of playing both tackle spots but could slide in right away at right tackle, which is important since the Falcons have two left-handed quarterbacks. Assuming his recent knee injury isn't serious, the 6-foot-7, 325-pounder could enter the top-10 discussion with another successful season," wrote Reid.

Goosby's knee injury has been reported as a bone bruise, which is incredibly painful, but shouldn't hold him back for very long.

The Falcons are hoping they don't find themselves in quarterback purgatory again. The Class of 2027 is supposed to be a quarterback-rich class, and if the Falcons are drafting at or near the top 10, it likely means the quarterback play in Atlanta was subpar this season.

That would put the Falcons in the market for a quarterback in next year's draft. The problem is, despite it supposedly being a deep class at quarterback, Reid projects only three quarterbacks going in the first round; all in the first three picks: Oregon's Dante Moore to the Browns, Texas' Arch Manning to the Cardinals, and Notre Dame's CJ Carr to the Jets.

Another middling season, with the Falcons winning six to eight games, could be their worst-case scenario. They're good enough not to fully tank, but not bad enough to get the quarterback prospect they'd need in the draft.

NFL Mock Draft Database is a little more bullish on the quarterbacks, with seven of them in the top 18 players on their consensus big board.

The worst thing the Falcons could do is reach for a quarterback out of need, but if they're drafting in the top 15 again, and their board lines up with a quarterback when they're on the clock, it would be a stretch to think they wouldn't draft one.

If their board doesn't align, though, getting a Jake Matthews replacement for the next decade would be a good building block while they continue their search for their quarterback of the future.

The best case for the Falcons this year is them finding their quarterback, taking them beyond the top 15 picks, placing Goosby out of reach in the draft.

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