Falcons quiet in round one, eye picks on day two of NFL draft

Falcons quiet in round one, eye picks on day two of draft

The Atlanta Falcons sat out the first round of the NFL Draft, with team officials declining to comment on an ongoing criminal matter involving a player.

ATLANTA - The Atlanta Falcons sat out the first round of the NFL Draft, with team officials declining to comment on an ongoing criminal matter involving rookie linebacker James Pearce. 

RELATED: Falcons’ rookie linebacker James Pearce enters program to avoid trial

What we know:

The team did not have a first-round pick after trading it away last year to acquire Pearce, which resulted in a quieter night for executives during Thursday’s opening round.

2026 NFL DRAFT: Atlanta Falcons Pick Tracker

Action is expected to pick up Friday, as the Falcons hold multiple selections beginning in the second round. General manager Terry Fontenot and the front office say they are comfortable with their draft position despite having fewer picks than some teams.

"We’ve been in both situations and scenarios," a team executive said, referencing past drafts with limited selections. "We’re comfortable sitting and waiting and taking five players that are going to help us now into the future. We’re really excited about that opportunity."

Atlanta currently holds the No. 48 overall pick in the second round and No. 79 in the third round, along with later selections on Saturday.

While executives monitored the draft, current Falcons players Bijan Robinson and Drake London were spotted at an Atlanta Hawks playoff game, where they interacted with fans and tossed signed footballs into the crowd.

DC Young Fly's slam dunk, Falcons in the stands

Atlanta's DC Young Fly's slam dunk at Thursday night's Atlanta Hawks game is going viral on social media. Bijan Robinson and Drake London with the Atlanta Falcons were also in the stands and were tossing footballs.