B+
Atlanta Falcons
Larceny in the 84th overall pick lands the Falcons a B+, Golday and all.
by cbfaurholt17 ·
2026 NFL Draft
· 10 picks
· 6 steals
· 1 reaches
Give the war room a raise for the dealing alone. The Falcons came out ahead on every exchange that mattered, and it was not close. More right than wrong, and a B+ to match.
Landing Golday that late papers over a lot of smaller sins. If this class has a fault line, it runs straight through running back. They will need Perkins Jr. to outplay his draft slot in a hurry to justify it.
A competent weekend that does not make headlines and does not need to.
Pick-by-Pick
They let Keith Abney II come to them and pounced at slot 57. Useful depth more than a marquee fix.
You do not let a wide receiver like Germie Bernard reach the Round 3 slot and blink. They did not. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
Jake Golday at No. 84 is a first-round grade at a bargain-bin price, no notes. A need, and now a little less of one.
A tidy little value on Connor Lew in pick No. 85, a step better than break-even. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
Sam Roush at the 89th pick is right where the board had him, plain and simple. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
No edge and no loss on Darrell Jackson Jr. in Round 3, Pick 33; it is a wash and a sensible one. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
A wide receiver of that caliber at Round 3, Pick 34 is the definition of value, full stop. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
They liked Harold Perkins Jr. enough to skip the value, taking him in No. 122. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
Cole Payton at slot 215 is the steal of the weekend, a first-round talent at a bargain-bin price. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
They stopped a slide they were happy to see, landing Kaden Wetjen in the Round 7 slot. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.