Falcons brass discusses strengths and weaknesses of 2026 NFL Draft class Monday

“You have guys that fit certain flavors, whether they are big, physical, possession-type guys, or those slots who can get in and out of breaks and get open and move the chains,” Cunningham explained. “It’s really a pick-your-flavor position, I think.” In the case of both groups, the depth might allow Atlanta to wait and snag a player they view as a legitimate contributor as late as the third day of the draft. That might allow them to focus on shallower groups in rounds two and three, like the suddenly-needed tackle group on offense and a top-heavy defensive tackle group.

Defensive tackle is shallow

As Garrett Chapman at Falcons SI writes, the fact that the Falcons acknowledge that the interior of the defensive line class is top-heavy suggests they might prioritize it in the draft’s second day. That’s no sure thing, but if it *is* viewed as a major need after the team traded for Maason Smith and signed both Da’Shawn Hand and Chris Williams, the Falcons might have to prioritize defensive tackle if another prospect isn’t light years ahead of the best DT on their board.

Don’t expect a jump up into the first round

With no first round pick, a BPA mindset, and an itch to add more selections going forward, you wouldn’t have expected the Falcons to trade up. Cunningham all but confirmed that Monday. That means the first night of the draft will be very low-stakes for us—and maybe even boring, depending on how much you enjoy the draft generally—but it also means the Falcons aren’t going to make any foolish, risky moves that costs them needed resources for 2027 and beyond. It likely helps, to give Kevin Stefanski the final word here, that this draft is one where “beauty is in the eye of the beholder.” This is not thought to be a particularly strong class, which gives teams with patience and savvy the best chance to come out of it with useful players.