Did the Falcons Uncover Any 'Value Picks' in the NFL Draft?

The 2026 NFL Draft wrapped up on Saturday, and the Atlanta Falcons made six total selections. Two of those picks landed inside ESPN’s top 100 draft picks, a list compiled by NFL draft analyst Matt Miller.

Atlanta’s first selection to appear on the list is cornerback Avieon Terrell, who comes in at No.16. The Falcons selected Terrell 48th overall in the second round of the draft. The corner was ranked No. 33 on Miller’s big board, meaning Atlanta was able to secure him 15 spots later than projected, a move that Miller viewed favorably.

“I love this pick,” Miller wrote. “Terrell was seen as a potential Round 1 player through much of his career, but he had a late slip due to a hamstring injury in the pre-draft process. That injury prevented him from working out for teams and answering questions about his speed, which is why he lasted 15 picks longer than where I ranked him on my board. Terrell will make an instant impact, likely in the slot.”

Terrell had an elite season during his final year at Clemson. He finished the year with 48 total tackles, 4.5 tackles for losses, three sacks, and defended nine passes. He surrendered just 340 yards in 12 games, an average of 28 yards per game. He held receivers to 50 or fewer yards in 10 of those 12 games, 40 or fewer in nine, 25 or fewer in seven, 10 or fewer in five, and five or fewer in four games. In two games, he didn’t allow a single receiving yard at all.

For Atlanta to land a player widely graded as a first-round talent in the middle of the second round is a major value pick. Not to mention, he gets to join a secondary with his brother, a second-team All-Pro in A.J. Terrell.

The second Falcons draft pick on Miller’s list is linebacker Harold Perkins Jr., who comes in at No. 87. Perkins was drafted No. 215 overall in the sixth round of the draft. The defender was ranked No.111 on Miller’s big board, meaning Atlanta got him over 100 picks after the analyst expected him to go.

“Perkins is a talented player who flashed at times at LSU, especially early in his career, but never seemed to get fully comfortable,” Miller wrote. “Perkins' ceiling could be as an Azeez Al-Shaair-level player.”

Perkins was seen as a potential first-round pick a few years ago. Although he ultimately did not live up to that billing, he had a solid four-year career at LSU. He finished with 220 total tackles, 35.5 tackles for losses, 17 sacks, five interceptions, and 10 defended passes.

He joins a Falcons defense headed by coordinator Jeff Ulbrich, under whom linebacker Divine Deablo had a breakout campaign in 2025. Perkins will look to find similar success this season.

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