Falcons Tasked with Addressing Flurry of Needs in Upcoming NFL Draft

With the Atlanta Falcons entering the final stretch before the 2026 NFL Draft, their priorities are coming into sharper focus. According to Marc Raimondi of ESPN, defensive tackle, linebacker and wide receiver stand out as the team’s most pressing needs heading into draft night.

The Falcons will absolutely need to bolster their front seven, especially following the departures of Kaden Elliss and David Onyemata. Even with both of them in the lineup, Atlanta struggled to stop the run, arguably the biggest weakness in Jeff Ulbrich’s defense last season.

The numbers back it up. Atlanta allowed 126.2 rushing yards per game in 2025, the ninth-highest mark in the NFL. They also surrendered 2,146 total rushing yards, another bottom-10 figure that highlights just how urgent it is for the Falcons to address the interior of their defense heading into the draft.

The new regime, led by head coach Kevin Stefanski, is expected to embrace a physical, run-first identity, pounding the rock with Bijan Robinson while emphasizing a defense built to clamp down on the run on the other side of the ball.

“New president of football Matt Ryan and new coach Kevin Stefanski have both noted this version of the Falcons is one that will want to run the football and stop the run," Raimondi wrote.

Thus, Atlanta has been linked to several high-profile defensive tackles in the draft, including Christian Miller (Georgia), Lee Hunter (Texas Tech) and Caleb Banks (Florida). At linebacker, names connected to the Falcons include Anthony Hill Jr. (Texas), Jake Golday (Cincinnati) and Jacob Rodriguez (Texas Tech).

While addressing a way to stop the run will be important, the Falcons know they also need to find a true No.2 wide receiver on the offensive side of the ball.

“Stopping the run was the weak point of coordinator Jeff Ulbrich's defense last season … and Atlanta is also still searching for a true No. 2 wide receiver to complement Drake London.” Raimondi wrote.

With the release of both Darnell Mooney and KhaDeral Hodge, the Falcons had only Drake London and Casey Washington under contract at the wide receiver position. While Atlanta did move quickly to sign both Olamide Zaccheus and Jahan Dotson to bolster the receiver room’s depth, neither profiles as a true No.2 option.

Zaccheus has never topped 533 receiving yards in a season, and has failed to surpass 315 yards in two of his last three seasons. Dotson, meanwhile, has never eclipsed 523 yards in a single season and hasn't reached the 520-yard mark since his rookie campaign in 2022, totaling just 478 yards combined over the last two seasons.

As a result, adding a legitimate No.2 receiver remains a clear priority for Atlanta heading into the draft. The Falcons have also done extensive work at wide receiver, hosting top 30 visits with five wide receivers: Zacariah Branch (Georgia), Ted Hurst (Georgia State), Josh Cameron (Baylor), Cyrus Allen (Cincinnati) and Kevin Coleman Jr. (Missouri).

Other needs for the Falcons include cornerback and offensive tackle, specifically right tackle.

The Falcons' cornerback room was hit hard by injuries last season, with A.J. Terrell, Mike Hughes, Dee Alford and Billy Bowman Jr. all missing time. With Alford departing in free agency, Atlanta’s depth at the position has only gotten thinner, and while Hughes has been steady, the Falcons could still benefit from an upgrade opposite Terrell heading into the draft.

At right tackle, the situation shifted dramatically after veteran Kaleb McGary announced his retirement last week. McGary was 31 and missed the entirety of the 2025 NFL season with a knee injury suffered on the final day of training camp. The Falcons responded by signing Jawaan Taylor as a short-term insurance option, but he does not appear to be a long-term solution.

Taylor’s penalty issues, particularly with false starts, have been a recurring concern, and while his pass protection is serviceable (67.3 PFF grade), his run blocking remains a clear weakness (43.8 PFF grade). As a result, right tackle has emerged as another area of concern that Atlanta may want to address via the draft.

With multiple needs across the roster, the path forward for the Atlatna Falcons still feels straightforward: strengthen the trenches and add reliable weapons. From stopping the run to protecting the quarterback and finding a true No.2 receiver, Atlanta enters the 2026 NFL Draft with clear holes that cannot be ignored.