Atlanta Falcons GM hunting for extra picks before 2026 NFL Draft

The Falcons' new GM inherited a regime that traded away their 2026 first-round pick to the Los Angeles Rams before selecting edge rusher James Pearce Jr in the 2025 NFL Draft.

As a result, Atlanta heads into April with only five selections in the 2026 NFL Draft and with their first pick at No. 48.

While Cunningham isn't panicking about the situation, he's keen to improve his hand before 23 April.

"For us, it's one of those things where we have to go into this thinking we only have five picks. That's the worst case," he explained on the team's official 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."

Justin Casterline / Stringer

The Falcons currently hold second, third, fourth, sixth and seventh-round picks.

Their limited capital, it seems, was part of the reason Atlanta was so active in free agency, signing 17 players.

"That's the hand that we were dealt," Cunningham said, "but we are going to try to figure out ways moving forward to create more opportunities, more swings at the plate."

Long-term, Cunningham made clear he'd rather build through the draft than rely on free agency.

"Moving forward, you don't want to live in that space," he said of the reliance on free agency. "You would like for your draft picks to eventually take the place of those things, but this was a year where we had to attack it this way."

DAZN News will keep track of every pre-draft trade, and you can watch how the 2026 NFL Draft unfolds for yourself, live on DAZN with a Game Pass subscription.