Falcons roster implications for the team’s day 3 picks

Anterio Thomas will slot in to the back end of the defensive line rotation

Thomas doesn’t impact anyone in the current rotation; he just supplements it. This is a player who has been a bit of an inconsistent run defender in his career but was quite good a year ago, and he’s always had the burst and nastiness to be a force as a pass rusher. Better consistency will need to be there and experience will help him achieve that, but initially this is probably a 10 snap per game player who will get Nate Ollie’s coaching and the ability to pin his ears back and chase the quarterback. Despite being a sixth round pick, Thomas has real talent and energy and could be a more prominent part of the rotation going forward. In year one, with quite a few options in front of him, his impact will be limited unless he really stands out.

Harold Perkins Jr. is an enigma

Do you know where Perkins is going to play? I don’t. Tre’Shon Diaz notes that he’ll be a major factor on special teams, where the team needs his energy and aggression, but I genuinely don’t know what his path to playing time is otherwise. Will he get some snaps at edge rusher, where his speed and good hand usage could make him a nuisance despite his lack of size? Will he man inside linebacker at times, serving as a Kaden Elliss-esque blitz threat to cause headaches and working on his coverage and tackling shakiness in real-time? Will he do a little bit of both, spelling starters on clear passing downs? I don’t know, but Jeff Ulbrich probably has a vision for him. Perkins isn’t going to start and likely won’t get a ton of playing time, but if Ulbrich can find a few different ways to turn him loose, he seems like an agent of chaos the Falcons could use.

Ethan Onianwan is a lottery ticket and a deep reserve

Onianwan didn’t start a tackle for Ohio State last year, and seems likely to kick in to guard in the pros. He’s an absolutely mammoth human being who could be a mauler in the run game with time and effort, but Onianwan should be firmly behind Kyle Hinton on the interior in 2026 as he adjusts to the NFL. If he’s doing particularly well this summer, though, he could ensure Hinton is the *only* guard in front of him; I’m also interested to see if Bill Callahan believes he has any potential at tackle. Write his name down as someone who could be a lot more intriguing in 2027 if his development goes well.