With only six picks in the 2026 NFL Draft, the Atlanta Falcons are leaning hard on the undrafted free agent pool to uncover a surprise contributor. That approach has already put a few rookies on the radar, and one of the clearest early names to follow is wide receiver Vinny Anthony II.
Anthony drew plenty of attention during rookie minicamp and early OTAs, though that buzz cooled some once mandatory minicamp began. Even so, he’s still shown enough flashes to keep himself in the conversation. If he strings together a strong training camp, he has a real shot to turn that early intrigue into a roster spot.
At 23, Anthony enters camp with a path that isn’t exactly blocked off. Atlanta already has four receivers who look like roster locks, but the final two spots are wide open, and that gives him a legitimate opening to make the team.
The fit is intriguing. At 6-foot and 183 pounds, Anthony brings a versatile skill set that could make him useful in more than one role.
Over four seasons at Wisconsin, he caught 80 passes for 1,162 yards and five touchdowns. Those numbers don’t jump off the page, but they came in a situation where he wasn’t exactly set up for easy production.
Bad quarterback play forced Wisconsin coach Luke Fickell to get creative with how he used him. Anthony lined up at receiver, but he also spent time in the backfield, almost like a mini Deebo Samuel. That kind of usage points to a player who can handle the ball in space and do a little bit of everything.
He also brings special teams value. Anthony was a solid return man and worked as a gunner when he wasn’t handling kicks, and that matters for a Falcons team that had its own issues in that area at times last season.
His burst shows up on tape and in testing. Anthony posted a 4,07 20-yard shuttle, and his Senior Bowl performance helped reinforce the idea that he can be dangerous once the ball is in his hands.
This spring, he’s already been part of Atlanta’s return man rotation. Training camp and the preseason will now give him a bigger stage to show what he can do on offense. And if the Falcons don’t bring in another veteran receiver, the opportunity for Anthony only gets better.
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