The Atlanta Falcons have the eighth pick in the NFL Draft when Round 1 begins on April 27 in Kansas City. The Falcons own seven total picks in the seven-round draft.
Dane Brugler’s The Beast, the complete 2023 NFL Draft Guide, is now available.
Falcons’ draft picks
| ROUND | PICK | OVERALL | NOTES |
|---|---|---|---|
1 | 8 | 8 | |
2 | 13 | 44 | |
3 | 12 | 75 | |
4 | 8 | 110 | From Titans |
4 | 11 | 113 | |
7 | 7 | 224 | From Raiders |
7 | 8 | 225 |
Full draft order
Every pick in the seven-round NFL Draft.
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NFL Draft details
• Round 1: April 27, 8 p.m. ET
• Rounds 2-3: April 28, 7 p.m. ET
• Rounds 4-7: April 29, noon ET
All rounds will be televised on ESPN/ABC and NFL Network and in Spanish on ESPN Deportes.
About the Falcons
• Head coach: Arthur Smith (third season)
• General manager: Terry Fontenot
• Last year’s record: 7-10
Smith and Fontenot had some roster rebuilding to do in their first two seasons, starting with shedding expensive salaries. Weathering that stretch came with back-to-back 7-10 seasons, but they had money to spend this offseason for the first time. They used it on safety Jessie Bates III, defensive tackle David Onyemata, defensive end Calais Campbell, linebackers Bud Dupree and Kaden Elliss, cornerback Mike Hughes, wide receiver Mack Hollins and quarterback Taylor Heinicke, and they traded for former Titans and Patriots tight end Jonnu Smith and former Lions cornerback Jeff Okudah.
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Falcons’ key position needs
Edge: The Falcons had only 39 sacks in the last two seasons combined, by far the worst mark in the NFL in that span. Their recent signing of Dupree should help, but there’s more work to be done here.
Cornerback: The Falcons added Okudah, the No. 3 pick in the 2020 draft, by trade on April 11, sending a fifth-round pick to the Lions. They then released veteran corner Casey Hayward, who failed a physical after missing 11 games last year because of a pec injury. Hayward could return when healthy, but the Falcons still may take a cornerback early to add depth and guard against the possibility that Okudah doesn’t develop like they think he can.
Safety: Bates addresses the immediate need in the starting lineup, and 2021 second-round pick Richie Grant will man the other spot, but the Falcons need depth and could use special teams bodies as well.
Wide receiver: Hollins’ signing takes care of the No. 2 receiver position, but the modern NFL rewards teams who have a lot of targets. Atlanta needs at least one more wide receiver.
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Falcons draft analysis
Falcons’ pre-draft approach: Prepare for anything, say nothing: Terry Fontenot and Arthur Smith aren’t providing any clues about which players or positions they’re targeting in the draft.
Falcons NFL Draft Big Board 3.0: Projecting Day 1, 2 and 3 fits for Atlanta: Names to watch to help fill roster holes.
Falcons mock draft reaction: Selecting Nolan Smith at No. 8 would tell us a lot: Dane Brugler has the Falcons taking the Georgia edge rusher in the first round. Is that the right call?
Falcons roster reset: Breaking down the pre-draft depth chart after offseason moves: The Falcons have added depth to their defense in free agency.
Falcons mock draft mailbag: Using your submissions, Josh Kendall identifies Atlanta fans’ favorite prospects.
Falcons mailbag, Part 2: All NFL Draft, starting with the Jalen Carter question.
Falcons NFL Draft big board 2.0: Edge rusher has to be a priority in Atlanta based on the early free-agency signings.
Potential Falcons draft targets on defense after the NFL combine: It’s a deep cornerback class in the NFL Draft this year. How might that affect the Atlanta Falcons’ plan at the position?
Potential Falcons draft targets on offense after the NFL combine: Quarterbacks were the talk of the combine, but the other offensive positions were the focus for the Falcons.
The Athletic’s most recent mock drafts
April 26: NFL Mock Draft 2023: Our beat writers pick 5 QBs in first round with Bryce Young No. 1
Josh Kendall considers taking offensive lineman Peter Skoronski at No. 8 but goes with a cornerback.
April 24: Falcons 7-round mock draft: Getting bigger up front early, finding value late
Kendall addresses the offensive and defensive lines in the first two rounds.
April 17: NFL 7-Round Mock Draft: Dane Brugler predicts all 259 picks
The Athletic’s draft expert takes on the challenge of predicting the entire board, from start to finish.
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April 13: What would a Lamar Jackson move mean for Round 1?
Diante Lee has the Ravens trading up to No. 3, and the Falcons getting a key addition to help their pass rush.
April 7: 2023 NFL Mock Draft: How each team should attack Rounds 1-3
Nick Baumgardner has the Falcons trading down from No. 8 and selecting Illinois cornerback Devon Witherspoon with their first pick.
April 5: Falcons 7-round mock draft: The wheeling, dealing, Bijan Robinson-drafting edition
Kendall experiments with trading down from No. 8 and taking a surefire offensive weapon.
Drake London had a solid rookie season in Atlanta. (Chris Graythen / Getty Images)Falcons’ last five top picks
2022: WR Drake London, pick No. 8 — London led the Falcons with 72 catches for 866 yards as a rookie. He tied for the team lead in receiving touchdowns with four.
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NFL All-Rookie Team: Which players from the 2022 draft class starred in Year 1?
2021: TE Kyle Pitts, pick No. 4 — Pitts led the Falcons in receiving with 1,026 yards in his rookie season, but he missed the final seven games of 2022 after tearing his MCL.
2020: CB A.J. Terrell, pick No. 16 — Terrell, who has started 44 games, emerged as one of the league’s top cornerbacks in 2021. He has four career interceptions.
2019: OL Chris Lindstrom, pick No. 14 — A 55-game starter, Lindstrom just signed an extension that makes him the highest-paid guard in the NFL.
2018: WR Calvin Ridley, pick No. 26 — Ridley had 3,342 receiving yards and 28 receiving touchdowns in 49 career games before leaving the team early in the 2021 season to focus on his mental health and then being traded to the Jacksonville Jaguars.
(Top photo of Peter Skoronski: Randy Litzinger / Getty Images)
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