Atlanta Falcons Post-NFL Draft Position Battles to Watch

FLOWERY BRANCH – The Atlanta Falcons put together their 2026 draft class, and it has since provided a lot of clarity for how the roster could ultimately shape up. Six new draftees and 16 more undrafted free agents have ballooned the roster to nearly 80 players – that number will need to drop to 53 by the end of August.

Now that Ian Cunningham’s fingerprints are all over this team, we can look ahead to some potential position battles to keep an eye on as the offseason activities start ramping up.

Quarterback

The Falcons’ quarterback competition between Michael Penix Jr. and Tua Tagovailoa will steal just about all of the attention this offseason. Penix is still working to recover from a knee injury that cost him the second half of last season, but they will square off once he returns. Until then, Tagovailoa will be unhindered as the QB1 through offseason activities and will have a significant head start over the incumbent starter.

But don’t forget about the one for the third roster spot. Given the injury concerns between the two competitors at the top, there is a good chance the Falcons will carry a third quarterback. The Falcons did not draft a quarterback, but they did bring in a high-upside UDFA in Jack Strand, who could push Trevor Siemian for that roster spot.

Cornerback

The Falcons added Avieon Terrell in the second round of the draft, immediately adding intrigue to the cornerback room. He will come in and provide some competition to incumbent starter Mike Hughes, who struggled through some injuries and poor play in 2025.

Aside from that competition, the nickel corner is going to be one to watch. The Falcons added Darnay Holmes in free agency, but have also added Sydney Brown via trade. Those two could be there to compete with Billy Bowman Jr., who is returning from a torn Achilles that cut his rookie season short. The odd man out of Hughes and Terrell could also factor into this mix.

The depth of the cornerback room also projects to be very competitive, with several players – Holmes, C.J. Henderson, Cobee Bryant, Clark Phillips III, Mike Ford Jr., A.J. Woods, Natrone Brooks, Malcom DeWalt IV – fighting for three or four spots.

Wide Receiver

Atlanta’s starters for Week 1 are likely set, with Drake London, Jahan Dotson, and Olamide Zaccheaus as the likely options, but the Falcons added several new players to compete behind them. Chief among those additions is Zachariah Branch. The former Georgia wideout dropped due to his size, but he offers some elite speed and surprising strength that will earn him a role on the team right away.

Those four players are squared away, but the depth pieces will be clawing and fighting for the remaining handful of roster spots. The Falcons could carry six wideouts, but they have nine players at this position after adding five UDFAs to an already crowded room.

Casey Washington won this spot last year, but saw his role regress to the point where he was a healthy scratch most Sundays. Dylan Drummond, Chris Blair, and Deven Thompkins also appeared in games down the stretch.

Offensive Line

Like the wide receiver room, the offensive line is set up top with plenty of intrigue behind that. Jake Matthews, Matthew Bergeron, Ryan Neuzil, Chris Lindstrom, and newcomer Jawaan Taylor are locked in at their respective positions for 2026. Nothing beyond that is guaranteed.

Storm Norton returns as the favorite to remain swing tackle, but there will be plenty of competition after Cunningham made several new additions this offseason. The Falcons will likely carry nine or ten offensive linemen, leaving 10 players competing for those four or five openings.

Jack Nelson, Michael Jerrell, Andrew Steuber, Kyle Hinton, and Corey Levin return as the veterans. Onianwa was a flier in the seventh round, but he offers some interesting inside-outside versatility. He still likely has much more development left before he is a favorite to make the roster. The other UDFA additions will have a tough road to make the roster, given the players ahead of them.

Linebacker

At linebacker, the Falcons have a lot of bodies in the room. JD Bertrand, Troy Andersen, Christian Harris, Channing Tindall, and Malik Verdon will all be competing for their spot on the roster. The Falcons also drafted a pair of linebackers over the weekend, adding Kendal Daniels and Harold Perkins Jr.

Divine Deablo is the only established player, and the Falcons will carry four or five players here, so seven players are fighting for the remaining three or four slots. Andersen and Harris will compete with Daniels for the starting job next to Deablo, while Bertrand, Tindall, and Verdon will show they can provide special teams upside.

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