March 23, 2026, 6:05 a.m. ET

The Atlanta Falcons are going into the 2026 NFL Draft with only five total selections, and their first pick doesn’t come until the middle of the second round. This presents another challenge for first-year Falcons general manager Ian Cunningham.

Nonetheless, the team managed to use its limited draft capital to trade for Philadelphia Eagles safety Sydney Brown over the weekend. The Falcons and Eagles swapped picks in the fourth and sixth rounds.

Atlanta essentially moved down 26 total spots to acquire Brown, but the team still has five picks. This is important for a team that still has holes left to fill in the draft. The Falcons need a No. 2 running back after losing Tyler Allgeier in free agency, and they could still use some help at wide receiver and defensive tackle.

A new four-round mock draft from NFL.com writer Chad Reuter addressed a few of these needs. The Falcons selected three Big Ten players in Reuter’s mock.

Falcons add 3 Big Ten players in NFL.com mock draft:Round 2 (pick 48:) DT Kayden McDonald, Ohio StateRound 3 (pick 79): RB Kaytron Allen, Penn StateRound 4 (pick 122): DE Jaishawn Barham, MichiganExpert NFL picks: Exclusive betting insights only at USA TODAY.

In Round 2, Atlanta was projected to take Ohio State defensive lineman Kayden McDonald at pick No. 48. The Buckeyes standout is a dominant run defender and would give the team a true nose tackle at 6-foot-3, 326 pounds.

In Round 3, Reuter gave the Falcons a perfect replacement for Allgeier in Penn State’s Kaytron Allen. Last season, Allen rushed for 1,303 yards and 15 touchdowns on over 6.2 yards per attempt. While he’s not a burner, Allen is a powerful runner, averaging 3.7 yards after contract.

The Falcons relied on Allgeier to provide those physical runs, which helped keep Bijan Robinson fresh and wore down opposing defenses. Allen has a similar ability and could fill that role well in Atlanta.

To close out NFL.com’s mock draft, the Falcons selected Michigan EDGE Jaishawn Barham in the fourth round (pick No. 122 overall). Barham has some work to do in the pass-rushing department, but he’s stout against the run and his stats were somewhat hindered by playing on a talented Wolverines defense.

The 2026 NFL Draft kicks off on April 23 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.