Jan. 13, 2026, 4:01 p.m. ET
The Atlanta Falcons do not have a first-round pick in the 2026 NFL draft, and even if they did, the team doesn’t currently have a general manager in place to make that selection. Team owner Arthur Blank dismissed both head coach Raheem Morris and GM Terry Fontenot following the team’s 8-9 finish.
While Fontenot’s firing wasn’t a total surprise, the former GM’s trade for James Pearce Jr. paid off in a big way. Pearce finished with 10.5 sacks, leading all rookies, and the Falcons went from having the NFL’s second-worst pass rush to finishing second in the league with 57 sacks (a new team record).
The Falcons named Matt Ryan president of football and formally introduced him on Tuesday. Ryan will help the team in its quest for a new head coach and GM. As for the pick that Atlanta sent to Los Angeles in the Pearce trade, it will officially be No. 13 overall.
So, while the team doesn’t have a first-round pick this year, the draft has seven rounds for a reason. Check out the Falcons’ current selections in the 2026 NFL Draft below.
Atlanta Falcons: List of picks in 2026 NFL DraftRound 2 (Projected pick No. 48)Round 3 (Projected pick No. 79)Round 4 (Projected pick No. 114)Round 6 (Projected pick No. 195)Round 7 (Projected pick No. 231)Expert NFL picks: Exclusive betting insights only at USA TODAY.
Not only did Pearce lead all rookies with 10.5 sacks, but former third-round pick Xavier Watts led the 2025 draft class with five interceptions. The Falcons will have to find some more mid-round gems in 2026.
-Follow the team’s head coach and GM search with our Falcons interview tracker!
