Atlanta Falcons general manager Ian Cunningham was hired on Jan. 29. The NFL Draft starts April 23. That’s less than three months for Cunningham to prepare for what will be the most scrutinized week of his first year on the job.

That doesn’t feel like much time for Atlanta’s front office, but it’s plenty of time for us to speculate about how things will go. After trading away this year’s first- and fifth-round picks last year, the Falcons are slated to pick just five times this year: at No. 48 (in the second round), No. 79 (third round), No. 114 (fourth round), No. 195 (sixth round) and No. 231 (seventh round).

However, Cunningham has already suggested he’s willing to make deals to increase that number, noting that in his first year in Chicago as assistant general manager under Ryan Poles, the Bears turned a five-pick draft into a 10-pick draft through draft-week trades.

Below, we’re unveiling our first Falcons mock draft of the year, and in a nod to Cunningham, we made a deal to add another pick. (Sorry, we couldn’t get to 10.) In addition to valuing volume in draft picks, Cunningham has described himself as a “best available” drafter, meaning he won’t be swayed to take a lesser player at a position of need.

We are less disciplined, though, and this draft was influenced by the fact that Atlanta has pretty clear needs at defensive tackle and wide receiver. Even so, we think we ended up with six pretty good players, and, more importantly, Dane Brugler’s recently released Top 100 agrees with us.

Without further ado, meet your (hypothetical) new Falcons:

Round 2, No. 53Christen Miller, DT, Georgia

If the Falcons use a second straight first pick on a Bulldog — after nabbing Jalon Walker at No. 15 last spring — we can finally retire the idea that the state’s pro team has some sort of disdain for the local university. That’s not the biggest reason to pick Miller, though. The biggest reason is that he’s big himself, and the Falcons need interior defensive linemen.

They need defensive linemen of every variety, defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich said this week. Asked what lessons could be taken from the new Super Bowl-champion Seattle Seahawks, Ulbrich said: “They made a huge investment in the defense, specifically the defensive line. That’s where championship teams are built, not just championship defenses.”

The 6-foot-4, 305-pound Miller is a run-first defender who needs to hone his pass-rush skills but “has the tools to add immediate value to an NFL front,” Brugler wrote. He is Brugler’s No. 37 overall player.

Astute readers will see that this pick was made at No. 53, rather than No. 48. That’s because we traded the 48th pick to the Pittsburgh Steelers for this pick and an additional fourth-round selection (No. 135). The downside of the deal is that Pittsburgh used the No. 48 pick to take Indiana wide receiver Omar Cooper Jr., Brugler’s No. 27 prospect and a player at another position of need for Atlanta.

Round 3, No. 79Davison Igbinosun, CB, Ohio State

The Falcons are OK at cornerback for 2026 as long as Billy Bowman Jr. returns from an Achilles tear spry enough to reclaim the starting nickel position. But if Cunningham is going to go with the best available player, Igbinosun would be too tempting to pass up here.

At 6-2, 195 pounds, he has ideal size for a cornerback and plenty of speed and strength for the NFL. Even the aggressive style that saw him flagged repeatedly at Ohio State should play better in the NFL. He is Brugler’s No. 50 player.

Round 4, No. 114Kaelon Black, RB, Indiana

It’s going to be tough for Atlanta to keep backup running back Tyler Allgeier, simply because of finances. Allgeier is likely to get starting-running-back-type money on the free-agent market, and the Falcons probably will be unwilling to invest similarly because they will soon be paying a huge contract to Bijan Robinson at the same position. Still, Atlanta needs a quality alternative to Robinson because new head coach Kevin Stefanski has made it clear he’s going to run the ball.

The 5-10, 210-pound Black looks like a capable Allgeier replacement. He had 1,040 yards and 10 touchdowns during the Hoosiers’ national championship run, and he went straight to the Senior Bowl after the College Football Playoff, which shows he’s a competitor.

Round 4, No. 135Malachi Fields, WR, Notre Dame

If the Falcons get Fields in the fourth round, it would be a coup along the lines of getting safety Xavier Watts in the third round last year. The 6-4, 222-pounder is Brugler’s No. 49 overall player, but he was available for us with this pick, and we didn’t hesitate.

Even if Atlanta gets a bounce-back season from Darnell Mooney in 2026, it needs more depth at receiver. The team’s non-Drake London receivers had 75 catches for 892 yards last year. The No. 3 wide receiver was David Sills V, who totaled just 18 catches for 191 yards.

Fields has “a go-get-it gear when the ball is in the air,” Brugler wrote. Sounds perfect for Atlanta.

Round 6, No. 195Jaishawn Barham, Edge, Michigan

The 6-foot-3, 244-pounder is a converted linebacker and a high-upside pick at this point in the draft. The Falcons have two impending free agents at edge in Leonard Floyd and Arnold Ebiketie, and there are serious concerns about the availability of James Pearce Jr. after his offseason arrest. Barham would also help with Ulbrich’s desire to add bodies up front.

Round 7, No. 231Drew Allar, QB, Penn State

It wasn’t long ago that Allar looked like he might be a first-round pick. He still has that type of resume on paper. He’s 6-5, 235 pounds, and he threw for 7,402 yards and 61 touchdowns with a 63.2 percent completion rate in four years for the Nittany Lions. There are enough possible problems that he was available for us at this spot, but he could be worth the risk.