5 Wide Receivers the Atlanta Falcons Should Target in the NFL Draft

Last season, the Atlanta Falcons ranked among the league's bottom half in receiving yards and touchdowns. Outside of rising star Drake London, the team's receiver room lacks consistency and a true complementary threat.

In an NFL Draft loaded with intriguing wide receiver prospects, Atlanta could take advantage of the abundance of talent and inject some new life into their offense.

Falcons on SI breaks down five wide receiver prospects, from potential early-round picks to late-round sleepers, who could make an immediate impact next season.

Day Two Options

Omar Cooper Jr. (Indiana)

Indiana Hoosiers wide receiver Omar Cooper Jr. posted a 4.42 40 at the NFL Combine. | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

While lining up in the slot for 83.3% of his snaps last year, the Second Team All-American became former Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza’s primary target throughout Indiana’s National Championship run.

The 6-foot, 196-pound receiver caught 69 passes for 937 yards and 13 touchdowns. In the Hoosiers’ title win over Miami, he finished with five receptions for 71 yards.

A fine-tuned route runner, he operates calmly in chaos. While working the middle of the field, he slips past defenders with rocker steps and subtle shoulder dips before snapping into his break without slowing stride. The Indianapolis native also has a polished release package, allowing him to attack both press coverage and catch-man looks (two to three yards off the ball) before getting into his route.

He’s comfortable with the ball in his hands, leading the Big Ten with 494 yards after the catch. Some guys are just naturally slippery in space, and Cooper Jr. starts, stops and redirects at full speed without slowing down. Even if it doesn’t translate into explosive plays at the same rate it did in college, it could still make him a consistent chain mover and a useful perimeter threat on bubble screens.

While his speed shows up after the catch, he has a tendency to drift slightly away from the ball instead of attacking it, which has limited his impact as a consistent downfield threat.

With London remaining as Atlanta’s primary X receiver, Cooper Jr. could slide in as a much-needed, dependable slot option for the Falcons.

Peak NFL Comparison: Brandon Aiyuk

Zachariah Branch (Georgia)

Georgia Bulldogs wide receiver Zachariah Branch measured 5'8 5/8" and 177 pounds at the NFL Combine. He ran a 4.25 40. | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

With players like Kadarius Toney flaming out after being selected in the first round, the mold of the compact, twitchy receiver often gets boxed into the “gadget player” label.

But if schemed for properly, Atlanta could use a gadget player, especially a former First-Team All-American who reportedly hit a treadmill sprint just one mile per hour shy of Usain Bolt's 27.33 mph top speed.

Last season, Branch broke Georgia's single-season reception record while leading the SEC with 81 catches, 811 yards and six touchdowns. A former five-star recruit and top-ten national prospect, Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart pointed to something less measurable when describing his top receiver.

"The thing that impressed me the most is his love for the game," Smart said. "Some guys that are so highly touted, they don't really buy into the culture and the work ethic that we have. He's never flinched."

Last season, the USC transfer finished with the fourth-most yards after the catch among FBS receivers (634), cutting and bending through traffic in ways that didn’t seem physically possible at times. At 5-foot-9 and 180 pounds, Branch operates with a naturally limited catch radius, but he dropped just two passes all season and showcased impressive concentration when catching passes in confined spaces.

Instead of piling more mileage on Bijan Robinson with another swing or screen pass, Atlanta needed a second explosive threat in space. By motioning Branch across the formation and even into the backfield, his playmaking ability could be emphasized, creating mismatches against linebackers and safeties and forcing defenses to adjust.

Peak NFL Comparison: Jaylen Waddle

Mid-Round Options

Ted Hurst (Georgia State)

From just down the street at Georgia State, Ted Hurst measured 6'3 7/8" and 206 lbs. at the NFL Combine. He posted a 4.42 40 — From just down the street at Georgia State, Ted Hurst measured 6'3 7/8" and 206 pounds at the NFL Combine. He posted a 4.42 40. | Vasha Hunt-Imagn Images

Through just two years at Georgia State, Hurst worked his way into the Panthers' top-five in career receptions, receiving yards and touchdowns.

At 6-foot-4 and 206 pounds, the Savannah, Ga. native used his prototypical size and strength to dominate the Sun Belt Conference, hauling in 71 passes for 1,004 yards (12th-most in FBS) and six touchdowns. With graceful body control and impressive ball-tracking ability, Hurst could make an early impact as a downfield threat in the NFL.

Ted Hurst was one of the most exciting players at the Senior Bowl, and the film more than backs it up

Arguably the most dangerous vertical threat in the 2026 NFL Draft pic.twitter.com/lm9FK9edXN
— NFL Draft Files (@NFL_DF) February 1, 2026

His route running won’t wow you, but Hurst gets from Point A to Point B by using his size and speed to press vertically and keep defenders on their heels before snapping into a sudden break.

While his reps against Power Four competition have been limited, he turned heads at the Senior Bowl and caught seven passes for 71 yards against No. 20 Vanderbilt in one of his two SEC appearances last season. The year before, he delivered his collegiate breakout performance against the Commodores, posting seven catches for 115 yards and two touchdowns in an upset win, including the go-ahead score with 15 seconds remaining.

As a Group of Six prospect with just two years of Division I production, Hurst could serve as a high-upside local bet for a Falcons team looking to revamp its passing attack.

Peak Comparison: Alec Pierce

Eric Rivers (Georgia Tech)

Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets wide receiver Eric Rivers turned in a 4.45 40 and 37" vertical leap at the NFL Combine. | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

While it may seem suspicious at this point, the amount of Georgia-based players on the list isn't intentional.

Rivers served as Georgia Tech's leading receiver last year, catching 46 passes for 658 yards and two touchdowns, but the senior speedster's most impressive work came during his first two collegiate seasons at Florida International University.

In 2024, the 5-foot-11, 176-pound receiver caught 62 passes for 1,172 yards, the 11th-most in the FBS, and 12 touchdowns, the fifth-most in the country. He also averaged 18.9 yards per catch, higher than any player with more total receiving yards than him.

The yards-per-catch numbers may hint at him being a one-trick pony, but Rivers is a polished route-runner with enough coordination and fluidity to be effective from different areas and alignments. With former starter Darnell Mooney possibly departing in free agency, he could serve as a more reliable explosive option for Atlanta's offense.

Peak Comparison: Demario Douglas

Late-Round Option

Trebor Pena (Penn State)

Penn State Nittany Lions wide receiver Trebor Pena spent 4 years at Syracuse before moving to Happy Valley. | Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

After leading the ACC with 84 catches and finishing among the FBS' top 20 in both receptions and receiving touchdowns (nine), Pena entered the spring transfer portal window widely regarded as the nation's top available receiver.

While his numbers dipped after landing at Penn State, much of that can be tied to the Nittany Lions’ instability at quarterback rather than a drop-off in Pena’s ability.

During his time at Syracuse, he showed he could handle a larger workload and a more intricate route tree in one of the nation’s top passing offenses, rather than being confined mostly to quick-hit looks like he was last season.

Last season, the 5-foot-10, 186-pound receiver caught 49 passes for 552 yards and two touchdowns. His top performance came against Clemson, earning Pinstripe Bowl MVP honors after finishing with five receptions for 100 yards and a 73-yard score.