Disclaimer: The statements and opinions regarding players and/or potential future players in the article below are those of the AtlantaFalcons.com editorial staff and are not the Atlanta Falcons' football personnel unless noted in a direct quote.
FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — I have a confession to make.
I have been slacking on mock drafts this offseason. Typically, by the time draft week rolls around, I have opened and closed the simulator countless times. Although I've done my usual research on this year's draft class, I haven't actually done any mock draft exercises.
So, that is what's going to make this particular mock different than those I've done in past years or the excellent work Tori McElhaney has provided the past several weeks. This is a one-and-done draft. I deliberated extensively about each selection, and I feel really good about how things turned out.
Here is my one and only seven-round Falcons mock draft.
SECOND ROUND
LB Jacob Rodriguez, Texas Tech
I like a lot of the top linebackers in this year's draft, and I feel like pick No. 48 is a prime spot to land one of them. In this case, Rodriguez was the top player on my board, and I jumped at the chance to add him. Although Falcons defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich has worked wonders with late-round linebackers in the past, I think Rodriguez is worth the team's first draft pick. He is a multiplying force in the middle who brings the kind of well-roundedness that made Kaden Elliss so impactful. A former quarterback, Rodriguez reads the field extremely well and is always in position to make a play. The 2025 unanimous All-American has back-to-back seasons with more than 125 tackles and intercepted four passes last year. He's a two-time team captain and adds to the leadership qualities coalescing on the Falcons' defense.
THIRD ROUND
WR Ted Hurst, Georgia State
There's another wide receiver who played college ball in the state of Georgia who has drawn a lot of attention from Falcons fans, but Hurst is the player who immediately caught my eye when I turned on the tape. The 6-foot-3, 206-pound receiver ran a 4.42-second 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine and is highly explosive. During the 2024 and 2025 seasons, Hurst had 127 catches for 1,965 yards and 15 touchdowns. During his career at Georgia State, 70.9% of Hurst's receptions went for either a first down or a touchdown. Although there is an expected learning curve at the NFL level, Hurst would enter a situation in Atlanta where he can be a complementary piece instead of the focal point. He looks the part of a top-tier NFL receiver and gives the Falcons another dangerous weapon.
FOURTH ROUND
DT Rayshaun Benny, Michigan
There are shades of Grady Jarrett in Benny's game, which makes it easy to envision how he would fit in Atlanta's defensive line. The 6-foot-4, 298-pound defender isn't going to consistently eat up multiple blocks and hold ground, but in a one-gap penetrating front, he can get past blockers and make plays in the backfield. He deploys a lot of power in his long arms, which helps him stay clean while operating in tight spaces. There are a lot of great traits for an NFL team to develop at the next level, and I would trust Ulbrich and defensive line coach Nate Ollie to do so.
SIXTH ROUND
OG Logan Taylor, Boston College
Taylor is a player projected to go early on Day 3, but he was still available in this exercise, so I snatched him up. He started at every position on the offensive line except center in college, providing exactly the kind of versatility I want in a developmental backup lineman. At 6-foot-6 and 314 pounds, Taylor has good size and length for the NFL. He is not an elite athlete, but he has the mentality to make it in the pros and is an old-school player who should get better under Bill Callahan.
SEVENTH ROUND
WR Zavion Thomas, LSU
Falcons head coach Kevin Stefanski talked about adding "dominant traits" to the wide receiver room earlier this month, and Thomas fits that idea cleanly. The former LSU receiver ran the 40-yard dash in 4.28 seconds at the NFL Combine, ranking in the 98th percentile at his position in the event's history. That kind of speed helped him become a standout returner in college, and it's something that can't be ignored with Atlanta's final pick. Although he is undersized for the NFL, Thomas has the juice to make a real difference on Sundays.
