Falcons build trenches in way-too-early 3-round 2026 NFL mock draft

With no first-round pick, the Falcons still come away with critical linemen.

Despite what national media may say about the Atlanta Falcons and their 2025 draft, fans of the team seem optimistic about the haul they were able to muster, given their limited draft capital.

Grabbing two bona fide pass rushers, one prototypical, one ideational, and two ballhawks in the secondary at value is a great foundation to build a defensive identity. Despite this, there was one glaring omission from the 2025 draft: Physicality.

After years of defenses getting smaller, the league has done a 180-degree turn on its axis and reverted to its roots of running the football and playing rugged defense, starting with the trenches. If you ask Terry Fontenot, Atlanta addressed the trenches within the last few years with Ruke Orhororo, Zach Harrison, Brandon Dorlus, and Ta’Quon Graham.

So, yes, the darts have been thrown, but none of them are necessarily answers to write home about along the defensive line. David Onyemata and the addition of Morgan Fox provide a little ointment on the sting of losing longtime Atlanta staple Grady Jarrett. Not to mention, there isn’t a true nose tackle on the roster. Sure, Onyemata can play there, but that’s not where you want him long-term. There needs to be a true space-eater in the middle of the defense.

On the other side, Jake Matthews, the ironman he is, can’t do this forever. There needs to be a contingency plan so that Matthews can ride off into the sunset on his terms. The great thing about having Matthews is that this player doesn’t need to be fully developed. Matthews, Kaleb McGary, and Chris Lindstrom can be great mentors to assist any player who may come in. Not to mention that Ryan Neuzil, as of right now, is not a lock to become a high-end starting center over the long haul.

Since the Falcons don’t have their first-round pick next year, we needed to find someone who went beyond the first round in their initial 2026 mock draft, and by God, we found him. Pro Football & Sports Network’s Ian Cummings went three rounds deep in his latest mock, giving us 97 names to look for in next year’s draft, from Arch Manning to Aveion Terrell to Jadyn Ott. For the Falcons, however, he had a clear vision: Build the Trenches. Atlanta did just that with their two picks.

Second Round, Pick #42: DeMonte Capehart, DT, Clemson

The Falcons will need to completely overhaul their interior defensive line in 2026. DeMonte Capehart can be a nice central piece as an explosive, powerful linear nose tackle at 6’5″, 315 pounds. His motor runs hot, his power output blasts opponents off the line, and he can stack-and-shed.

Will Atlanta need to completely overhaul the interior? Maybe not. If they did, Capehart is a great start. Reuniting Ruke with a lineman with the motor and power of Capehart could be a blessing for Falcons fans.

Third Round, Pick #74: Trey Zuhn, OT, Texas A&M

Zuhn had a chance to go to the draft this season but decided to return to a Texas A&M team that returns all its starters for a potential CFP run. The third-team All-SEC lineman projects to potentially move inside, which could benefit Atlanta if Bergeron or Neuzil don’t take the necessary steps forward.