Atlanta Falcons NFL 2026 Draft plans may include NDSU WR Bryce Lance.
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Atlanta Falcons.
The Atlanta Falcons have just five draft picks entering the 2026 NFL Draft. New general manager Ian Cunningham is already looking for ways to change that just weeks before the event.
“For us, it’s one of those things where we have to go into this thinking we only have five picks. That’s worst case,” Cunningham said, via the team’s website. “If we come out of it with just five picks, we come out of it with just five picks. We are already looking at different ways to potentially manufacture some more. But if it doesn’t work out, it doesn’t work out.”
Cunningham hasn’t shown his hand on how the Falcons plan to add more draft capital, but it’s clear the team still has holes to fill before the 2026 season.
“Do not be surprised if the Falcons find a way to trade down or even trade a player for more picks,” ESPN’s Marc Raimondi said. “New general manager Ian Cunningham has been very clear about his affinity for more selections, noting that the Bears went from five picks to 10 in his first year working for Chicago. Atlanta’s offseason has not been meat and potatoes, as it has built depth and elevated the team’s floor with an eye toward future flexibility. Expect more of that strategy in the draft.”
One position ESPN’s Jordan Reid reports Atlanta is showing interest in, though, is wide receiver — despite adding Jahan Dotson and Olamide Zaccheaus in free agency.
Falcons Showing Interest In Day 2 Wide Receiver Option
The Falcons lost Darnell Mooney and Khadarel Hodge this offseason but still have WR1 Drake London in place. Even so, the room may still need more depth, particularly a field-stretching option.
“In speaking to league sources connected to Atlanta, one position that has been heavily linked to the Falcons is defensive tackle,” Reid said. “They have done an extensive amount of work there, but another position that routinely popped into conversation was wide receiver. Even after adding Jahan Dotson and Olamide Zaccheaus this offseason, the Falcons want a field stretcher at some point on Day 2. Bryce Lance (North Dakota State) was a name that kept coming up.”
Lance spent the last four years with North Dakota State, a former FCS powerhouse, where he totaled 127 catches for 2,157 yards and 25 touchdowns.
His NFL Combine prospect grade came in at 6.17, labeling him a “good backup with the potential to develop into a starter.”
As of now, Lance is projected as the 16th wide receiver off the board, according to NFL Mock Draft Database, with a projection around pick No. 87. That’s within the Falcons’ range, but it could require a slight reach given they hold pick No. 79 and then don’t select again until No. 122.
Falcons Likely Targeting Defensive Tackle Early In Draft
If the Falcons are able to wait on Lance, that likely puts the focus on defensive tackle with their first pick in the second round at No. 48 overall.
The Falcons’ team website recently highlighted two defensive tackle prospects who could be available in that range.
One option would keep things local with Georgia’s Christen Miller. The other is Texas Tech’s Lee Hunter.