Most fans are naturally focused on the start of the season and won't spare a thought for the 2027 NFL Draft until their team is toast in the standings sometime in December. However, you can bet within the scouting departments of all 32 teams, they're already hard at work breaking down the prospects for next year's draft class and have been for months.
As far as the Atlanta Falcons go, their focus for the early rounds should be on a deep class of quarterbacks and the wide receiver prospects who would fit best on the other side of their offense opposite star Drake London.
In a new 2027 mock from Ryan Wilson at CBS Sports, Atlanta takes the second route, picking Indiana wide receiver Charlie Becker at No. 12 overall.
"Woo boy, this team suddenly has
a ton of needs. They've tried to rebuild the defense and injuries (Jalon Walker) and off-field issues (James Pearce) have conspired against them. And while QB is a glaring question, is QB4 in this class an obvious upgrade (the answer is probably no better than "maybe")? Right tackle is on the to-do list as well, but for all the media love for Trevor Goosby, NFL teams have real concerns about him playing more consistently. If he shows that, he'll have a chance to be a top-15 pick. Which is all to say that Charlie Becker feels like the safest bet here, especially with not much depth behind Drake London."
You can definitely make a case for a quarterback in this spot - but wide receiver should be addressed no later than the second round of the draft. The only way that should change is if both Jahan Dotson has a surprisingly great season and rookie Zachariah Branch has a very promising Year 1.
Becker (6-foot-4, 208 pounds) certainly looks the part of an ideal counterpart to London. His size will give him an advantage on the boundary of the vast majority of NFL cornerbacks and he comes with soft hands and sharp route-running skills.
Becker enjoyed a breakout season in 2025, totaling 34 catches, 679 yards and four touchdowns. His average of 20 yards per reception was the highest in the Big Ten.
He's already got off to a hot start this year, posting 64 yards and two touchdowns in Indiana's dominant 2026 debut against North Texas. For now Becker is projected to be a second-round pick, but if he keeps this up the rest of the year he definitely could come off the board much earlier.
This article originally appeared on Falcons Wire: Falcons address WR first in 2027 NFL mock draft
