The Atlanta Falcons made six draft picks in 2026, and generally I think Falcons fans are reasonably pleased with the haul. A team needing youth and good fits for a new regime seemingly got both, and while it takes years to find out whether that’s as true in reality as it seems on paper, we can be as cautiously optimistic as we like about the team not getting antsy and addressing some clear needs.
But how did they do against the consensus? Every year, the phenomenal Arif Hasan puts together his consensus big
board, an aggregation of 134 big boards from draft evaluators that is probably the most comprehensive and fair ranking of draft prospects out there. Each individual evaluator will have their own biases and flaws, but pulling together this large of a data set helps smooth things out and offer a good sense of where the draft community expects players to go.
It goes without saying that teams have their own boards and access to information that those outside the NFL do not, which is why and how you often get major surprises on draft day. Still, the consensus big board is invaluable for understanding where those who study prospects rank said prospects, and whether the Falcons bucked consensus or leaned in heavily on it.
Hat tip to Pats Pulpit for the format here. If you’d like to know how the Falcons stacked up against the consensus, look below, but the short story is that it’s a mixed bag.
CB Avieon Terrell
Pick: 2-48 | Consensus big board: 21 | Difference: +27
I saw a fair number of Falcons fans grumbling that Terrell was a reach, but the consensus doesn’t come close to bearing that out. Instead, given that he was widely expected to be a late first rounder per the consensus big board, they got a real steal by nabbing him halfway through the second round. Terrell’s size and recent injury history were did not overshadow his talent for the bulk of evaluators.
WR Zachariah Branch
Pick: 3-79 | Consensus big board: 64 | Difference: +15
Branch was also considered a value pick at this point. Like Terrell, there were concerns about size out there among fans, but evaluators generally saw him as late second/early third round pick given his electric speed and production out of the slot. The Falcons once again let him fall rather than giving into the temptation to move up and got their guy.
LB Kendal Daniels
Pick: 4-134 | Consensus big board: 234 | Difference -100
A fair number of teams started to get into big reach territory in the third and fourth rounds, and Atlanta was among them. Daniels was expected by the consensus big board to be seventh round pick, but the Falcons bet on his size, physicality, athleticism, and fit with Jeff Ulbrich’s defense and snapped him up far earlier. As I wrote the other day, the fit aspect of this pick is particularly important when evaluating it; it’s the same logic that drove the 49ers to jump for Stribling and running back Kaelon Black. If there’s a lightly regarded player who seems uniquely suited for your team, that’s when I’m generally most comfortable making that leap.
That said, Daniels will have to be a high-end reserve or starter to justify the Falcons ignoring the value on the board here, particularly in the trenches and at receiver where they could still use help.
DT Anterio Thompson
Pick: 6-208 | Consensus big board: 433| Difference: -225
Thompson was widely expected to be an undrafted free agent, but the Falcons took him late in the sixth round. That’s a reach, but hardly an overwhelming one when you consider the draft was nearing its end.
Thompson is another pull for fit, with the team needing more depth in their defensive line rotation and seeking a somewhat inconsistent bowling ball with run stopping and pass rushing promise that needs time and refinement. Many, many teams did similar things with their sixth and seventh round selections in 2026, seeking players who were not highly-regarded but made sense for their situation; time will tell if scooping him up ahead of an EDGE like Caden Curry or nickel back depth like TJ Hall was a wise move.
LB Harold Perkins Jr.
Pick: 6-215 | Consensus big board: 139 | Difference: +86
Another value pick per the board. Perkins fell a long way from his fourth round valuation, likely due to a quieter final season and questions about what position he’ll play in the pros, but has evident talent that could make this slot seem absurdly low in time. Ulbrich’s defense should be a good proving ground for him.
OL Ethan Onianwa
Pick: 7-231 | Consensus big board: 376 | Difference: -145
Near the end of the draft, I’m basically always in favor of just swinging for your guy so you don’t have to compete with other teams to sign him as an undrafted free agent. Such is the case with Onianwa, whose size and power make him an intriguing guard/tackle project for Bill Callahan, but who was widely expected to go undrafted. The Falcons need to give their offensive line guru some young players to work with, and with a major need for depth upgrades in the near future along this line, throwing this particular dart doesn’t bother me. The question of whether Onianwa was the best choice here will, of course, be settled in the coming years.
This was an unusual draft class, but one that could be a harbinger of things to come given how many players are staying in school to chase compelling final seasons and NIL money. Given that, it was not surprising to see teams trading up to grab players they loved, trading down repeatedly in perceived dead zones, and otherwise putting valuations on players that didn’t line up with the consensus. Think the Rams at #13 with Ty Simpson (38 on the consensus big board) and 49ers with De’Zhaun Stribling at #33 (99) for perhaps the most prominent examples.
That’s all to say we shouldn’t be surprised by the Falcons have a mix of picks that would be considered excellent value and massive reaches. What is unusual, given their habit of trading up in recent years, is that the new regime stayed put in the second and third round and caught players who could be perceived as “falling,” saving their gambles for the third day. It’s worth noting that Arif Hasan’s lengthy but incredibly interesting article about grading draft classes based on his big board has the Atlanta with the 11th-best results despite their limited draft capital, and that’s in spite of having a couple of quote-unquote massive reaches.
