Falcons' sixth-round pick ranked among top 100 players in draft

The Atlanta Falcons received a decent amount of praise for their Day 2 selections in the 2026 NFL Draft, but the same cannot be said about their four selections on Day 3. After adding Clemson cornerback Avieon Terrell and Georgia wide receiver Zachariah Branch in Rounds 2-3, the team went outside of the box in Rounds 4-7.

The Falcons added Oklahoma linebacker Kendal Daniels in the fourth round before taking Washington defensive lineman Anterior Thompson and LSU linebacker Harold Perkins Jr. in the sixth round. Atlanta closed out its 2026 NFL Draft class by picking Ohio State offensive lineman Ethan Onianwa in Round 7.

The fact that the team took two defensive back-turned-linebackers caused some analysts to lower the Falcons' draft grade. However, one NFL draft expert had high praise for the team's picks on Day 2 and Day 3.

ESPN's Matt Miller listed two Falcons among his top 100 picks from the 2026 NFL Draft. Sixth-round pick Harold Perkins Jr. came in at No. 87 on Miller's list.

"Perkins is a talented player who flashed at times at LSU, especially early in his career, but never seemed to get fully comfortable," wrote Miller. "He was moved around constantly, serving as a pass rusher, linebacker and even slot defender. Now he'll have the opportunity to learn one position under defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich, and the hope is that Atlanta unleashes his speed at off-ball linebacker. Perkins' ceiling could be as an Azeez Al-Shaair-level player."

The Falcons had a need for a versatile linebacker to replace veteran Kaden Elliss, who signed with the New Orleans Saints in free agency, and they got two. Daniels and Perkins are likely to start the year on special teams, however, they should have every chance to compete for a role on defense, even as Day 3 selections.