NFC South · 2026 Draft Class
Atlanta Falcons 2026 NFL Draft Class
Every Falcons selection in the 2026 NFL Draft, the needs they entered the weekend with, and the trades that reshaped their board.
The class
Atlanta Falcons made 6 selections in the 2026 draft, opening with Avieon Terrell, a cornerback out of Clemson, at No. 48 overall.
The class skewed toward linebacker, where they used 2 picks. In total they drafted 5 different positions.
Going into the weekend our board had their priority needs listed as Wide Receiver, Linebacker, Cornerback, Defensive Tackle, Edge Rusher. They addressed 4 of their 5 pre-draft needs directly: Wide Receiver, Linebacker, Cornerback, Defensive Tackle. Left unaddressed: Edge Rusher.
Their best value relative to the consensus board was Harold Perkins Jr. at No. 215, 65 slots later than the industry board had him ranked (150).
| # | Player | Pos | School | Board Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 48 (R2) | Avieon Terrell | CB | Clemson | 20 |
| 79 (R3) | Zachariah Branch | WR | Georgia | 58 |
| 134 (R4) | Kendal Daniels | LB | Oklahoma | 327 |
| 208 (R6) | Anterio Thompson | DT | Washington | 360 |
| 215 (R6) | Harold Perkins Jr. | LB | LSU | 150 |
| 231 (R7) | Ethan Onianwa | OT | Ohio State | 371 |
Draft capital
Falcons draft capital broke down as 0 Day 1 picks, 2 on Day 2 and 4 on Day 3. 2 of those were compensatory selections, awarded for free-agency losses in the prior cycle. 3 were slots they did not own when the weekend began, acquired by trade. Entering Day 2 without a first-round pick changes the arithmetic considerably: a team in that position is buying volume rather than a single premium outcome.
Pick by pick
Every Falcons selection, with where it landed against our consensus board and against their own pre-draft needs list.
- Round 2, No. 48: Falcons took Avieon Terrell on Day 2, a board-rank 20 player who waited 28 slots past his board ranking to get there. Cornerback was their No. 3 listed need.
- Round 3, No. 79: Falcons took Zachariah Branch on Day 2, a board-rank 58 player who fell 21 slots below where the consensus had him. It was their single highest-priority need going in.
- Round 4, No. 134: Falcons moved on Kendal Daniels on Day 3, 193 slots early, which is what a team does when it has decided the board is wrong. Linebacker was their No. 2 listed need.
- Round 6, No. 208: Falcons spent a late-round flier on Anterio Thompson, a board-rank 360 player.
- Round 6, No. 215: Falcons took Harold Perkins Jr. on Day 3, a board-rank 150 player who fell 65 slots below where the consensus had him. Linebacker was their No. 2 listed need.
- Round 7, No. 231: Falcons took Ethan Onianwa at board rank 371, a late lottery ticket rather than a statement. Offensive Tackle was not on their priority needs list, a best-player-available call.
Pre-draft needs
Our needs assessment for the Falcons going into the 2026 draft, ordered by priority. This is the list the class above is measured against.
Draft-day trades
- With Las Vegas Raiders: sent No. 122 (R4); received No. 134 (R4), No. 208 (R6).
Related
- Round 2 results: every other pick made around the Falcons' first selection.
- Position rankings for the groups they drafted: Cornerback, Wide Receiver, Linebacker, Defensive Tackle, Offensive Tackle.
- The 2026 consensus big board: where every one of these players ranked before the draft.
- Every trade from the 2026 draft: the full ledger, including the Falcons' moves.
- Steals and reaches: which picks diverged most from the board, and what that gap means.
- The draft by the numbers: positional supply, school production and how draft capital was distributed.
More on the Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons franchise hub carries the current front office and needs, plus every other class we cover.
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