4 Atlanta Falcons Who May Have Just Lost Their Jobs After the Draft

Which Atlanta Falcons could find themselves on the chopping block after the NFL Draft?

Which Atlanta Falcons could find themselves on the chopping block after the NFL Draft? | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

FLOWERY BRANCH – The NFL Draft has come and gone, but the Atlanta Falcons have a lot of decisions still to make this offseason. May will bring rookie mini camp and organized team activities, but the real fun begins in July when training camp kicks off. 

There will be some heated position battles this summer, and last weekend’s draft provided some additional points of contention as we move forward. As we look ahead, who are some of the players who should be concerned about where they stand? 

Cornerback Mike Hughes

Cornerback Mike Hughes has had an up and down career with the Atlanta Falcons | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Atlanta selected Avieon Terrell with their first selection on Friday night. He will come in and provide some competition to incumbent starter Mike Hughes, who struggled through some injuries and poor play in 2025. Hughes is not necessarily a cut-candidate, and he will still likely have some type of role (even a starter, should he win the job outright), but the drafting of Terrell is a clear indication that he cannot rest easy this summer. 

Quarterback Trevor Siemian

Former New York Jets quarterback Trevor Siemian was added as the third quarterback for the Falcons | David Butler II-Imagn Images

The Falcons brought in an exciting young quarterback to compete with Trevor Siemian. Jack Strand is a long shot, yes, but the Falcons clearly see something there. He comes from Division II, and there will be a steep increase in competition, but the traits are there. If Strand can adjust, he could step in as the third quarterback for the Falcons, or even bide his time on the practice squad – but Siemian is on notice.  

Wide Receiver Casey Washington

Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Casey Washington saw his role diminish over the course of the season | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

The Falcons added Zachariah Branch to the wide receiver room in the third round on Friday night. With Drake London, Jahan Dotson, and Olamide Zaccheaus set as the starters, Branch will be the fourth receiver who slowly increases his role with the team. Casey Washington was supposed to be that guy after making the team last year, but he saw his role diminished to the point where he was a healthy scratch most Sundays. 

The Falcons have since added five undrafted free agents to the room to compete with Washington, Dylan Drummond, Deven Thompkins, and Chris Blair. They will likely carry only six or seven players, so the competition will be fierce. With these additions to the room this offseason, Washington’s role in Atlanta could continue diminishing. 

Linebacker JD Bertrand

Falcons linebacker JD Bertrand struggled when he was inserted into the starting lineup last year | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

No position has seen more upheaval than the linebacker spot. They have added four new players (Kendal Daniels and Harold Perkins Jr. via the draft, and Christian Harris and Channing Tindall via free agency) and also brought two more back from injury (Troy Andersen and Malik Verdon). This group, plus incumbent starter Divine Deablo, is highly athletic and in the mold of what Jeff Ulbrich wants from this unit. 

The odd man out here is JD Bertrand. 

When he was inserted into the starting lineup last year, he was regularly a step too slow and was a liability for the Falcons on defense. Bertrand was eventually benched for Ronnie Harrison and did not get back out onto the field much after that, aside from special teams. After the influx of athletes, he could find himself on the way out this summer. 

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