Atlanta Falcons Biggest Remaining Roster Hole Heading into 2026 Season

The Atlanta Falcons are going to look a lot different in 2026.

Owner Arthur Blank cleaned house following the final game of the season, one in which the Falcons failed to post a winning record or make the playoffs for the eighth consecutive season.

New general manager Ian Cunningham got to work early to fill holes in the roster in free agency and continued to do so in the NFL Draft. With no first-round pick and limited salary cap room, Cunningham's philosophy was apparent: raise the floor of each room with competent depth, rather than make the mistake of thinking they were one player away from contention.

One of the key areas Cunningham addressed was wide receiver depth. The need to get better in that room became glaringly obvious with the absence of Drake London. London missed 5 games in 2025, the first of which was a Week 8 contest against the Miami Dolphins.

Kirk Cousins made his first start that week as well, and his wide receivers looked like this: Darnell Mooney, David Sills V, KhaDarel Hodge, Dylan Drummond, and Casey Washington.

Mooney was in the midst of a nightmare season. Sills took 45 off the 50 offensive snaps, and Hodge took 33. Despite a combined 11 seasons of NFL experience, the most catches either player had coming into the season was Hodge with 14 in 2023.

The trio combined for six catches for 56 yards as the Falcons were blown out 34-10 by a reeling Dolphins team. As a side note, Tua Tagovailoa was 20 of 26 passing for 205 yards and four touchdowns.

Cunningham got to work in free agency, signing Jahan Dotson to the team's biggest free agent contract at just two years and $15 million. He also brought back Olamide Zaccheaus and targeted Zachariah Branch in the third round of the draft.

The room definitely improved, but is it enough? ESPN argues that outside receiver is still the biggest hole on the team, and frankly, it's tough to argue with them. Quarterback might be the biggest question mark, but two capable players are competing there this summer. Jawaan Taylor is one to watch at right tackle, but he has a decent resume. Cunningham has thrown a bunch of bodies at defensive tackle.

Despite being 5'11 and 185 pounds, Dotson has spent more time outside than in the slot (63% according to PFF), but ESPN questions his overall effectiveness there.

"Sure, the Falcons could depend upon Jahan Dotson, who signed from the Eagles this offseason. But last year, Dotson had a 24 out of 100 score in ESPN's receiver tracking metrics, nearly at the bottom of the league. Dotson had less than 300 receiving yards in each of the past two seasons," Aaron Schatz wrote on ESPN.

Schatz rightly points out that Zaccheaus and Branch are much better in the slot, leaving London and Dotson as the two best outside options from strictly wide receivers.

The Other Option

In his first three seasons, Kyle Pitts spent as much time as a wide receiver as he did a tight end. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Prior to offensive coordinator Zac Robinson and Mooney's arrival in 2024, Kyle Pitts had spent almost the exact amount of time as an outside receiver as he had with his hand in the rubber pellets as an inline tight end (564 snaps to 571 snaps), with the majority of his time spent in the slot (781 snaps).

That changed drastically for Pitts the last two seasons, especially last year, with 549 snaps coming inline vs. 151 at wide out (260 in the slot). Pitts is a versatile weapon who is most valuable in the middle of the field, but he can do a job as a wide receiver if necessary.

Takeaways

Cunningham wasn't going to be able to plug every hole in 2026, and on paper, he's done a terrific job of filling Atlanta's biggest needs. However, looking at the roster, three main points come to mind when thinking about the wide receiver room.

First, they still need help at the position. Second, re-signing London, who is in the final year of his contract, is crucial, and finally, they can't afford to trade Pitts.

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