NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - JANUARY 1: Wide receiver Zachariah Branch #1 of the Georgia Bulldogs runs the ball against the Ole Miss Rebels during first half of the College Football Playoff Quarter Final Game at Caesars Superdome on January 1, 2026 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by CFP/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The 2025 season has officially concluded, with the Seattle Seahawks thoroughly dominating the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl. You love to see it. Other things have also happened in recent weeks, like the Falcons hiring Ian Cunningham as their next general manager and the team continuing to fill out the rest of the coaching staff.
The Senior Bowl is also behind us, and I’ve gotten an up close look at over 100 of the top prospects in the 2026 NFL Draft class. That means it’s high time for another full Falcons mock draft. And with a new GM comes a new approach.
Kevin Knight takes a look at how Cunningham’s influence might affect Atlanta’s draft strategy, taking you through a fresh 2026 mock draft complete with updates from the Senior Bowl.
Before we jump in to the mock, let’s take a look at the Falcons’ current haul of draft picks.
What are the Falcons current draft picks?
- Round 2, Pick 48
- Round 3, Pick 79
- Round 4, Pick 114
- Round 6, Pick 195
- Round 7, Pick 231
This is the written version, but you can also find the mock draft in two alternate forms as well. On our YouTube channel:
The mock is also available on all your favorite podcast platforms! You can listen to it directly here:
TRADE — Round 2, Pick 63: WR Zachariah Branch, Georgia
The Falcons trade pick 48 to the Patriots for picks 63 (2nd), 95 (3rd), and 131 (4th).
Ian Cunningham is calling the shots now, and the Falcons open their first draft with a massive change in approach. The Patriots come calling in pursuit of a falling offensive tackle they love, offering an extra (late) Day 2 pick and late fourth rounder. Atlanta needs the picks badly, making a trade down this large a real possibility on draft day.
Now working from the back of the second round, the Falcons take a shot on an intriguing wide receiver prospect who I’m sure many of you will be familiar with: Georgia’s Zachariah Branch. Branch is small in stature (5’10, 180) but brings a lot of what Atlanta needs to the table. He’s a dynamic athlete and YAC demon, capable of making big plays in space and in the short area of the field. Branch also has the long speed to threaten defenses deep and can help take some of the attention away from Drake London. Branch is a great separator and is physical despite his size limitations, posting an elite 62.5% contested catch rate and a drop rate of just 2.4%.
He still needs a lot of work on refining and expanding his route tree, and he’s a slot-only player at this stage of his career. Still, Branch is an electric playmaker who also offers return ability that the Falcons could desperately use. Here at end of the second round, that’s a skillset worth taking.
Round 3, Pick 79: CB Devin Moore, Florida
The Falcons got by at cornerback in 2025 despite a number of injuries and a bit of regression from veteran Mike Hughes. A.J. Terrell turned in a strong season and the slot was capably manned by rookie Billy Bowman (until his injury) and Dee Alford, who is a pending free agent. Given Bowman’s return timeline keeping him out into the season, the team is likely to re-sign Alford. Ideally the team can eventually upgrade from Hughes across from Terrell, and this pick is taking a long-term shot at that.
Florida’s Devin Moore is a developmental size/speed prospect who actually put some pretty good film out there in his first year as a full-time starter in 2025. Standing at an imposing 6’3, 200, Moore absolutely looks the part of a prototypical outside corner. If the rumors that he also runs in the 4.3s are true, he’s likely to elevate his draft stock even beyond this pick. But as it stands, Moore is a strong run defender who has taken significant steps in both man and zone coverage in a short period of time. He’s still fairly raw and would be best served as a depth piece to start his career, but Moore offers tantalizing upside as a future CB2 across from Terrell.
Round 3, Pick 95: LB Jacob Rodriguez, Texas Tech
Pick received from Patriots.
The Falcons have a major free agency decision to make with Kaden Elliss, but at this point I’d wager on him returning on another multi-year deal. Divine Deablo was outstanding in 2025 and became the backbone of the defense. So in terms of starters, Atlanta could be in good shape. The depth, however, was disastrous last season. JD Bertrand was unplayable, and while the other veterans were better, it was a serious drop-off.
Texas Tech’s Jacob Rodriguez was one of the top linebackers in college football last season. His instincts jump off the tape, and he’s one of the most technically sound players in both run defense and coverage that you’ll ever see. He’s a turnover machine with a nose for the football, and he looks like a Day 1 NFL starter. The catch is that he’s a little on the small side (6’1, 235) and there are questions about his athleticism and how he’ll hold up in the NFL. At the Senior Bowl, I thought he looked just fine and more than held his own in all phases. He might not be the same elite player in the NFL, but I think instincts at linebacker are king. Rodriguez may lack ceiling, but I think he looks like a rock solid 10 year starter in the middle of a defense.
Round 4, Pick 114: DB Bud Clark, TCU
With the Falcons missing Billy Bowman for at least the start of the season and Dee Alford’s status unclear, there could be a need for a starting nickel early in the season. To backup Bowman, I’m looking at another player with a very similar background and style: TCU’s Bud Clark. Clark also spent the majority of his college career at safety, but did take quite a few snaps in the slot over the past three seasons.
He’s a smaller safety at 6’1, 190, but Clark was a tenacious run defender. His 2025 didn’t quite live up to his elite 2024 season, but he’s still had two very strong years as a full-time starter. Clark offers the safety/nickel versatility that the Falcons covet from their defensive backs and would give Atlanta a young reserve with upside at multiple spots in the secondary. He was outstanding at the Senior Bowl as both a safety and corner, taking 1-on-1 reps against receivers, running backs, and tight ends. I like Clark’s upside as a potential future starter who can also provide valuable depth right away.
Round 4, Pick 131: OT Isaiah World, Oregon
Pick received from Patriots.
We know the Falcons days of having Jake Matthews and Kaleb McGary as their bookend tackles are approaching their end. McGary is returning off a season-ending injury, and Matthews has begun to decline. This isn’t a problem that can be fixed in one offseason, and the team would be wise to start trying to unearth a developmental starter right away. With Bill Callahan coaching the offensive line, I feel a lot more comfortable making a pick like this. Once thought of as a potential top tackle prospect, Oregon’s Isaiah World failed to take a step forward in 2025 and now finds himself squarely in the early-Day 3 range.
World certainly looks the part at an imposing 6’8, 320. As the old scouting adage goes, “you can’t teach size”. World has the physical traits and strength of an elite NFL offensive tackle, but the tape doesn’t match. His issues are many, as World doesn’t effectively use his size and has significant technical issues in pass protection. What he can do well right now is run block, particularly in power concepts. Building out his skillset as a zone blocker and in pass protection will be critical to his development, but this is exactly the type of prospect Callahan covets. At this stage of the draft, World is worth taking a shot on.
Round 6, Pick 195: DT Zxavian Harris, Ole Miss
We’re going to stick with the theme of massive players here, switching sides to the defensive line. The Falcons need a nose tackle for their front, and ideally, the wouldn’t have to spend a lot of money or draft assets to get one. Thankfully, this draft class is absolutely loaded with quality nose tackles, and someone is bound to fall into late Day 3. Ole Miss’ Zxavian Harris falls in the scenario, and he offers the Falcons exactly what they need.
When I say
massive, I mean it. Harris is listed at 6’8, 330 and looks every bit of it. Unlike shorter nose tackles, Harris’ frame is a bit more filled out and leaner at that weight. Leverage will be more of an issue for him, but he’s also got much better length than you typically see. At any rate, Harris is a very effective run stuffer, posting an elite 8.1% run stop rate in his 2025 season. While he’s not a dominant pass rusher, he can push the pocket and get cleanup sacks thanks to his tremendous tackle radius: Harris notched 3 sacks, 3 hits, and 18 hurries this season. Given Atlanta’s emphasis on size and length up front, Harris seems like a perfect fit.
Round 7, Pick 231: RB Kaelon Black, Indiana
We all know Tyler Allgeier is very likely to walk in free agency, as he deserves a shot to be a starter—or at the very least, a lead back in a committee. The Falcons don’t have much else at running back, mainly because Bijan Robinson is such a dominant force in the room. Still, they’d be wise to continue to invest resources in the room to continue to build out their talent base in case injuries should strike. UDFA Nathan Carter looked intriguing, but there’s room for more.
Indiana’s Kaelon Black impressed me at the Senior Bowl, looking like a reliable running back with good vision and solid athleticism. He didn’t get much work as a receiver, but had a few nice reps there in Mobile. Notably, Black was a versatile runner and is used to a mix of zone and gap concepts. That should fit in nicely in Atlanta’s new more multiple run scheme, and his production in 2025 (1034 yards, 5.6 YPC, 10 TDs) show that he can carry the load if needed. I think the Falcons would be wise to secure Black at the end of the draft instead of fighting for his services as a UDFA.
What do you think about this potential draft class for the Falcons? Leave your draft takes in the comments below!
45 starts between Nevada & Oregon
than expected
