ESPN Mock Draft Implies Major Change Coming for Falcons This Offseason

Based on this mock draft, the Atlanta Falcons are expected to move on from a key player on the offense

The Falcons are expected to start anew a key position | Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

With Super Bowl 60 set to be played on Sunday in Santa Clara, California, it is officially mock draft season for 30 of the 32 teams. The Atlanta Falcons currently lack a first-round pick, but that doesn’t exempt them from projections, including one that leaves heavy implications for how the offseason could unfold. 

However, on Monday, ESPN’s Matt Miller created a two-round mock draft for all 32 teams, and he had the Falcons going with a noteworthy position at No. 48. Miller has the Falcons going tight end, taking Eli Stowers out of Vanderbilt. Stowers caught 62 balls for 769 yards and four touchdowns this season.

Perhaps it’s an indicator that he doesn’t think that Kyle Pitts is coming back next season. Pitts has been Atlanta’s starting tight end since 2021, when the Falcons made him the highest drafted player at his position in history, selecting him fourth overall. 

After a rookie season in which he totaled over 1,000 receiving yards, becoming only the second rookie tight end in history to eclipse the 1,000-yard mark, Pitts has not reached that number since.

He entered the 2025 NFL season without an extension, with Atlanta picking up his fifth-year option instead. Now he heads into the offseason as a free agent. He saw career highs in receptions (88) and touchdowns (five) this season, while also racking up 928 receiving yards, the most by a Falcon this season. 

No decision has been made on Pitts as of yet, but the tight end said a few weeks ago it would be “dope” to play in new head coach Kevin Stefanski’s tight-end-focused scheme. 

If the Falcons don’t re-sign Pitts, it seems unlikely that they would go tight end with their first pick in the 2026 Draft. They have more pressing needs, such as filling out their receiver depth and cornerback depth, and could get a tight end in free agency for cheap. 

David Njoku’s contract will likely be voided, with rookie Harold Fannin Jr. exploding on the scene in Cleveland. Due to his connection with Stefanski, he would be a name to watch in Atlanta. Isaiah Likely will be on the market. Austin Hooper will be on the market. He was drafted by the Falcons back in 2016.

The biggest reason Miller believes Atlanta will go with Stowers at 48 is that he is a similar prospect to Fannin.

“Stowers is a true F-tight end prospect with a game very similar to Harold Fannin Jr. from last year's class,” Miller wrote.

Stefanski’s scheme helped Fannin record 731 yards and six touchdowns as a rookie (more than Kyle Pitts has had in a season in the NFL). 

Ultimately, Miller’s mock highlights the uncertainty surrounding Atlanta’s tight end room heading into 2026. With Pitts’ future up in the air, and Stefanski’s offense being historically tight-end friendly, the Falcons could be looking to get ahead of the curve. 

Whether that means a reunion with Pitts, an addition through free agency, or a surprise selection at No. 48, Atlanta’s approach at tight end will be something to monitor in the coming months.