We’re a little over a week away from the 2026 NFL Draft, and the Atlanta Falcons just received some major news with Kaleb McGary’s surprise retirement. While the team immediately signed Jawaan Taylor to take over the starting job, that’s nothing more than a one-year stopgap move. Suddenly, the team’s long-term tackle need became much more acute.
Unfortunately, the Falcons do not have a first-round pick to address that need. In fact, Atlanta only has five picks in total, with the first coming at 48
in the second round. There’s unlikely to be an immediate solution to the tackle problem in this draft class, but that doesn’t mean Atlanta can’t take steps to address it. For this penultimate mock draft, we’ll stick to the base picks only—no trades. I feel pretty strongly that we’ll see a trade down at some point in the real NFL Draft, but for this week we’ll take a final shot at fixing the roster with just the original picks available.
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 122
- Round 6, Pick 215
- 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:
Round 2, Pick 48: CB Keith Abney II, Arizona State
With the Falcons top rotational cornerback Dee Alford in free agency and Billy Bowman facing an uncertain return timeline, Atlanta’s need at cornerback is quite severe. Finding a versatile option in the draft who could potentially play in the slot as a rookie before moving outside in 2027 and beyond would make a ton of sense. Luckily, there’s a player who fits that role on the board at 48: Arizona State’s Keith Abney II.
Abney is 5’10, 187 and played almost entirely outside during his time at Arizona State. He’s instinctual and physical, making an impact as a ballhawk and run defender. Abney is ferocious in press coverage and is used to taking on far bigger opponents. His overall athleticism is fairly average, but he makes up for it with his lightning fast click-and-close. I think Abney can ultimately thrive as either a starting slot corner or as a CB2 on the outside opposite A.J. Terrell. That could give the Falcons multiple options going forward depending on the play of Mike Hughes and the health of Billy Bowman.
Round 3, Pick 79: WR Ted Hurst, Georgia State
The Falcons need another impact receiver to take the pressure off of Drake London, and I think Georgia State’s Ted Hurst absolutely fits the bill. Hurst is a prototypical Z “flanker” receiver at 6’4, 206, with very good long speed (4.42s 40) and a massive catch radius. He can take the top off of defenses and demand safety attention with his long strides and overwhelming size. Hurst has strong hands and a knack for making plays downfield.
I liked how Hurst took on the higher level of competition at the Senior Bowl, but the NFL will undoubtedly be a massive step up in difficulty for him. He also wasn’t asked to run much of a route tree at Georgia State, and his run blocking tape is pretty much nonexistent. Still, all the traits are here of an above-average WR2, and nothing that I’ve seen makes me question his long-term ability at the NFL level. It’ll be up to Hurst and the Falcons coaches to get him up to speed and contributing as soon as possible.
Round 4, Pick 122: OT Dametrious Crownover, Texas A&M
With Kaleb McGary’s surprise retirement, offensive tackle just shot up to the top of the list for the Falcons draft needs. Unfortunately, with no pick until 48 in the second round, there probably aren’t going to be any tackles worthy of a selection in that range. There is a second grouping of tackles early on Day 3 that all offer a lot of developmental upside, and Atlanta did just bring in a legendary offensive line coach. Seems like a good opportunity to get Bill Callahan someone to work with.
Texas A&M’s Dametrious Crownover offers a rare blend of size and athleticism to work with at 6’7, 320 and over 35” (!!) arms. This dude is an absolute unit, and he moves incredibly well for his size. Crownover was initially a tight end recruit who switched to tackle, so he’s still very early in his development on the offensive line. He started each of the last two seasons at right tackle, and it’s pretty clear his technique is pretty far off from being a reliable starter. Crownover needs a lot of work and probably won’t see the field as a rookie, but his blend of traits is difficult to find. This is exactly the type of prospect Bill Callahan loves, and the Falcons need to him to start working his magic immediately.
Round 6, Pick 215: LB Jack Kelly, BYU
The Falcons need more depth at linebacker and more help for their special teams. Thankfully, this is a great linebacker class, and there are still contributors available late on Day 3. BYU’s Jack Kelly was one of my favorite watches at the Senior Bowl, with athleticism and aggression on display. Kelly is a four-year starter (two at Weber State, two at BYU) who became a two-time team captain and first-team All Big-12 in 2025.
He’s a versatile linebacker with solid size (6’2, 240), movement skills, coverage ability, and surprising pop as a blitzer. Kelly piled up 10 sacks last season along with a lot of tackles for loss, and is at his best charging through gaps and making plays in the backfield. His biggest issue is a lack of arm length, as his ability to stack-and-shed is limited. Kelly has average instincts, which might cap his ceiling as a rotational linebacker and special teamer, but I think he’ll have a long NFL career.
Round 7, Pick 231: RB Rahsul Faison, South Carolina
The Falcons brought in a veteran RB2 behind Bijan Robinson in Brian Robinson Jr., but the rest of the room is still a question mark. Given how important the position is in Atlanta, the team would be wise to continue adding talent. Having a star at the top gives the team more flexibility in the type of runners they can target, making the Falcons a uniquely good fit for South Carolina’s Rahsul Faison.
Faison had a long college career, working his way up from JUCO, to Utah State, to finally South Carolina in 2025. He dominated the competition at Utah State but found himself in a timeshare last season, with only 470 rushing yards (4.9 YPC). That doesn’t tell the full story, as Faison actually looks very good on tape. He’s big and physical, but pairs that with excellent vision, patience, and better-than-expected agility and footwork. Faison also catches the ball well and can handle pass blocking responsibilities. Most teams will take Faison off their board because he’ll be a 26-year-old rookie who has never played special teams. The Falcons won’t be giving any RB not named Bijan Robinson a second contract, so the age doesn’t matter. Obviously he’ll need to grow into a special teams role to stick around long-term, but Faison is a surprisingly talented running back to find this late in the draft.
What do you think about this potential draft class for the Falcons? Leave your draft takes in the comments below!
