The Falcons’ biggest hole shows up right away in NFL.com’s latest “win-now” mock draft: even with a roster that already features playmakers like Bijan Robinson and Drake London, Atlanta still comes out looking like a team searching for answers under center.
That’s the backdrop for Chad Reuter’s seven-round exercise, which was built around players already in the league. In Reuter’s version of the world, the Falcons still wind up in the quarterback conversation - but not in the way many around the league might expect. Instead of settling the position cleanly, Atlanta ends up taking Michael Penix Jr. in Round 3, while Tua Tagovailoa isn’t selected at all.
The headliner is the first-round move. At No.
13, Reuter has Atlanta bringing in Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett, and he ties the pick to a familiar face: new Falcons head coach Kevin Stefanski. As Reuter wrote, "New Falcons skipper Kevin Stefanski brings the future Hall of Famer along with him from Cleveland, setting his defensive foundation for next season."
That’s the kind of swing that changes the shape of a defense in a hurry. Even if Garrett and Stefanski didn’t appear to be on the warmest of terms in Cleveland, the talent gap is too big to ignore.
Atlanta doubles down on defense again in Round 2, landing Houston cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. at pick No. 52.
Reuter pointed out that "The grandson of former NFL receiver Darryl Stingley has become one of the league's stars on the other side of the line of scrimmage." For the Falcons, it would give them a true No. 1 corner and a secondary that suddenly has some real edge.
Then comes the quarterback turn. With the 79th pick, Reuter sends Penix back to Atlanta. He wrote, "I'll give the Falcons' new brain trust of head coach Kevin Stefanski, offensive coordinator Tommy Rees and quarterbacks coach Alex Van Pelt a chance to help the talented (and hopefully healthy) Penix take a big step forward in 2026."
That selection stands out because Penix goes before Tagovailoa in the mock, even though many analysts have been projecting Tagovailoa to win the starting job. Reuter didn’t include Tagovailoa anywhere in the seven rounds. Penix, meanwhile, still carries plenty of upside, and Reuter notes that the former top-10 pick posted a 3-to-1 TD/INT ratio last season before his injury.
The offensive line gets attention next. At pick No.
114, Atlanta is mocked Lane Johnson, with Reuter writing, "I won't bet against Johnson returning to Pro Bowl form after a Lisfranc injury limited him to 10 games last season. With longtime Falcons starters Jake Matthews and Chris Lindstrom off the board, Atlanta hopes I'm right."
If Penix is the plan, protection becomes the priority.
At running back, the Falcons miss out on Robinson, who goes to the Green Bay Packers in Round 1. Instead, Reuter gives Atlanta Rams back Kyren Williams in Round 5 at No.
- Reuter said, "Williams has built himself into a consistent dual-threat, rushing for over 1,000 yards and catching more than 30 passes in each of the past three seasons for the Rams."
Round 6 brings one of the more intriguing names in the mock: Travis Hunter at No. 180.
Reuter wrote, "Even though Hunter missed most of his rookie season due to injury, the Falcons take a stab at his immense two-way talent." The catch is that, with Hunter moving to cornerback full-time, Atlanta still wouldn’t have a true No. 1 wide receiver.
But he would join Stingley as part of a strong defensive backfield.
The final pick is another defensive addition. At No.
207, Atlanta takes Bills defensive tackle Deone Walker, with Reuter noting, " Walker significantly outperformed his fourth-round draft status as a rookie with the Bills, making an impression against the Falcons with four tackles for loss." It’s a last-round move that adds more size and another piece next to Garrett up front.
In the end, Reuter’s mock paints a clear picture: if the Falcons are going to be aggressive in a win-now setup, they’re being built around defense first, with Penix still getting another shot to grow inside a revamped staff.
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