Feb. 15, 2026, 6:02 a.m. ET

The Atlanta Falcons took a big swing by trading up for edge rusher James Pearce Jr. in last year’s draft, and while the gamble initially paid off, it came back to bite them last weekend. Pearce was arrested last Saturday and is facing five felony charges.

Not only is Pearce’s career potentially in danger, but the Falcons will enter the 2026 NFL Draft without a first-round pick. Plus, they now have a huge hole at the edge rusher position. The team also has a need for a starting-caliber wide receiver and could stand to upgrade the overall roster depth at several positions.

Pro Football Sports Network released a new seven-round mock draft which has the Falcons addressing both positions, starting with a new receiver in Round 2. Let’s check out each of the team’s projected picks in PFSN’s mock draft.

Round 2, Pick No. 48: WR Chris Bell, Louisville

“Chris Bell offers an enticing combination of size and speed at 6-foot-2 with 32-inch arms, making him a physical mismatch at the wide receiver position,” wrote PFSN Analyst Alec Elijah. “Bell’s upside comes with a caveat: he tore his ACL late in the 2025 season. While he won’t participate in pre-draft testing and his early-season availability may be limited, if he remains on track for a full recovery, Bell has legitimate Top 50 potential.”

Expert NFL picks: Exclusive betting insights only at USA TODAY.

PFSN projected four more players to Atlanta in its latest mock, but since they only broke down Rounds 1-2, we’ve provided our own analysis for the remaining picks below.

Round 3, Pick No. 79: OC Sam Hecht, Kansas State

The Falcons were projected to take Kansas State center Sam Hecht in the third round of PFSN’s mock. Ryan Neuzil played well last season after Drew Dalman left for Chicago. Still, it would make sense to add a developmental option at center since Neuzil is entering the final year of his contract.

Round 4, Pick No. 114: CB Tacario Davis, Washington

In Round 4, the Falcons were projected to take Washington cornerback Tacario Davis at pick No. 114. Last season, Davis had two interceptions and allowed a passer rating of just 50.6. The Huskies standout primarily played on the outside over the last three seasons.

Round 6, Pick No. 196: Guard Anez Cooper, Miami

Atlanta finds more offensive line help in Round 6. This time, the Falcons were projected to take Miami guard Anez Cooper with the 196th overall pick. Anez is solid as a pass protector but needs to improve as a zone blocker. It would make sense to add some depth behind Chris Lindstrom and Matthew Bergeron.

Round 7, Pick No. 231: RB Noah Whittington, Oregon

To close out PFSN’s mock draft, the Falcons land some running back depth in Oregon’s Noah Whittington. Last season, he rushed for 829 yards and six touchdowns on 6.4 yards per attempt. With Tyler Allgeier set to become a free agent, the Falcons should look at adding another late-round running back in 2026.