As Ian Cunningham prepares for his first draft as Falcons general manager, he may be zeroing in on positions on both sides of the ball. As ESPN’s Jordan Reid writes, the Falcons have been connected to both defensive tackles and wide receivers.
Reid notes that the organization has done “an extensive amount of work” on defensive tackles. This isn’t a huge surprise as the Falcons ranked 24th against the run in 2025, and they lost their positional snaps leader in David Onyemata via free agency. While Ruke Orhorhoro and Brandon Dorlus provide the position grouping with a bit of experience, it only makes sense for the team to pursue some upside at the position during next week’s draft.
Of course, thanks to a trade with the Rams during last year’s draft that netted them James Pearce, the Falcons are currently operating without a first-round selection, meaning their first opportunity to add a DT would be at No. 48. Ohio State’s Kayden McDonald and Clemson’s Peter Woods surely won’t be on the board at that point, but the organization could look to the likes of Florida’s Caleb Banks or Georgia’s Christen Miller.
While wide receiver may not be the most apparent need for the Falcons, there is some merit to adding to the position. Drake London will continue leading the group, but the team has some question marks elsewhere on the depth chart. Darnell Mooney and David Sills are no longer in the building, with the Falcons adding Jahan Dotson and Olamide Zaccheaus in their place. However, neither of those additions should prevent the front office from pursuing additional reinforcements at the position, and Reid notes that the Falcons have made it known that desire a “field stretcher”.
While there’s a long list of talented WRs in this year’s draft, the Falcons will likely miss out on the top-tier at the position. Still, they could be in position to pounce on one of the second-tier wideouts, including Georgia’s Zachariah Branch, Tennessee’s Chris Brazzell, and Alabama’s Germie Bernard. Reid also points to North Dakota State’s Bryce Lance as a potential target for the organization.