New regime year one: HC Kevin Stefanski, GM Ian Cunningham, President Matt Ryan. Went 8-9 in 2025, missed playoffs for 8th straight year.
| Round 2 | #48 |
| Round 3 | #79 |
| Round 4 | #122 (from Eagles) |
| Round 6 | #215 (from Eagles) |
| Round 7 | #231 |
Traded 2026 1st-round pick (No. 13 overall) to Los Angeles Rams in 2025 draft to move up for James Pearce Jr. Also traded 2026 5th-round pick to Eagles. No compensatory picks received.
Critical Needs
Released Darnell Mooney ($18.4M cap hit) after a disastrous 2025 (32 catches, 443 yards).
James Pearce Jr.
Lost David Onyemata (Jets) and Kentavius Street (UFA).
Important Needs
Lost versatile CB Dee Alford (Bills, 3yr/$21M) who started 11 games with career-high 3 INTs and 13 PDs.
Lost Kaden Elliss to Saints ($33M deal) — was the defensive lynchpin with 380 tackles, 12.5 sacks over 3 years.
Depth Needs
Jake Matthews turns 34, entering the downswing of his career at LT.
Lost Tyler Allgeier (Cardinals, 2yr/$12.25M), who provided 1,841 yards and 15 TDs over 3 years as the primary backup and short-yardage back.
Minor Needs
Chris Lindstrom is an elite RG.
- Released Kirk Cousins (post-June 1 designation) — $22.5M dead money in 2026, signed Tua Tagovailoa (1-year, $1.3M) to compete with Michael Penix Jr.
- Released WR Darnell Mooney — saves $7.4M but creates massive WR need, signed Jahan Dotson (2-year, $15M) and Olamide Zaccheaus (1-year) as replacements
- Lost LB Kaden Elliss to Saints (3-year, $33M) — enormous defensive loss, signed Christian Harris (1-year, $3M) and Channing Tindall as partial replacements
- Lost EDGE Arnold Ebiketie to Eagles (1-year, $7.3M) — signed Azeez Ojulari, Samson Ebukam, Cameron Thomas on cheap 1-year deals to fill rotation
- Lost CB Dee Alford to Bills (3-year, $21M) — extended Natrone Brooks as depth, creates CB2/slot need
Under new HC Kevin Stefanski and returning DC Jeff Ulbrich, the Falcons run a 3-4 base defense that generated a franchise-record 57 sacks in 2025 via a deep rotation. Full scheme analysis →
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