The Atlanta Falcons as stated previously have what it takes to maybe be the surprise team in the NFL next season while having an elite offense. I have gone into detail regarding the offensive line of the team heading into the 2026 season and here I will analyze the skill position grouping for Atlanta heading into next year which is in line to be among the premier ones in the sport today.
Starting with the wide receiver unit the Falcons are led by former first rounder Drake London who is arguably the most underrated player in the sport today. London over the past two seasons has been graded as a top seven overall wide receiver in the NFL according to Pro Football Focus while performing very well the previous two seasons as well. London has done this despite having QB play and offensive coaching that has ranked near the bottom of the NFL. Now that the Falcons might have elite offensive circumstances during the 2026 season, we could certainly see London become one of the household names at wide out in the NFL right along with the Jamarr Chase’s and Justin Jefferson’s of the world.
The rest of the wide out unit is a concern however as the team lacks reliable players to complement London in the unit. Currently listed as second on the wide receiver depth chart is former 2022 1st round pick Jahan Dotson. Dotson was drafted very highly in the first round and had a very strong rookie season which was one of the better rookie wide out years I can remember from any player. However, over the past three seasons Dotson has fell off a cliff grading in not just the below average range among players at his position but in the well below average range in every single season since. Given his high draft selection and his elite rookie season, this is very surprising and disappointing. However, in year 2 with the Commanders the team had awful QB play which was perhaps the worst in the NFL and then Dotson was not given a chance to start in each of the next two seasons with Philadelphia. So, his struggles since his rookie season are understandable, and now that he is getting a chance to start again in ideal offensive circumstances, we could see him come into his own, build off his rookie season and live up to his high draft billing.
Outside of London and Dotson the Falcons lack firepower in their wide receiver room as they only have a couple of wide outs capable of giving the team strong production. Olamide Zaccheaus is currently listed as the starting #3 wide out of the team and has graded in the below average range among players at his position in every season but one in the NFL thus far. While the team also drafted Zachariah Branch in the 3rd round of the 2026 draft to add depth to the wide out room.
At running back, the Falcons also have one of the most underrated players in the sport who could also soon emerge as a household name. 2023 1st rounder Bijan Robinson has been one of the premier running backs in the sport for the past few seasons while one could certainly argue he has been the best overall running back in the sport over the past two years. Robinson has ranked second and third in terms of an overall offense grade among players at his position over the past two seasons for the Falcons. Robinson has also graded top five in terms of a receiving grade among players at his position in each of the past two seasons as well.
The Falcons have a solid #2 back in former Commanders’ standout Brian Robinson Jr who would be a starting caliber back for many teams in the NFL today. Robinson Jr was drafted pretty highly in the third round and had a very strong rookie season where Pro Football Focus graded him as one of the ten best running backs in the sport despite being a rookie. Robinson graded above average in each of the next two seasons although having a down year in 2025 with the 49ers where even Christian McCaffrey saw his struggles. There is an argument to be made that Robinson Jr is one of the premier #2 backs in the sport today.
At tight end the Falcons are led by former first rounder Kyle Pitts who is also underrated/overlooked at tight end and could emerge as a household name soon. Pitts has graded as a top ten overall tight end on multiple occasions according to Pro Football Focus despite having had subpar QB play with regularity thus far in the league. Pitts put together one of the best rookie tight end seasons in NFL history during the 2021 season and has looked strong since. Perhaps Pitts could emerge as a star heading into the Kevin Stefanski era where the team finally seems to be headed in the right direction on offense. Like the running back unit of the team the Falcons also have a very strong complementary player to Pitts in the unit who could be a solid starter for several teams. Austin Hooper has an argument for being perhaps the premier #2 tight end in the NFL today.
The Falcons if they can stay healthy and if they can get strong production from the remaining wide outs outside of Drake London, could have a grouping of skill position players that could be argued as perhaps the best in the sport. Bijan Robinson is one of the premier running backs, Drake London is one of the premier wide receivers, Kyle Pitts could emerge as one of the premier tight ends, while the team also has high end talents to complement those players in Jahan Dotson, Austin Hooper, and Brian Robinson Jr. A breakdown of the skill position grouping for the Falcons can be found below.
2026 Notable Falcons’ Wide Receivers
WR – Drake London – A
WR – Jahan Dotson – C+, former 1st rounder, elite rookie season, has fell off a cliff since, struggles are understandable, could break out now
WR – Olamide Zaccheaus – C to C+
WR – Zachariah Branch – 2026 3rd rounder
2026 Notable Falcons’ Tight Ends
TE – Kyle Pitts – B+ to A-, 1st rounder who has played very well despite having very subpar QB, could soon become household elite name
TE – Austin Hooper – B-, one of the best #2 tight ends in the NFL
2026 Notable Falcons’ Running Backs
HB – Bijan Robinson – A to A+, arguably best overall running back in the NFL
HB – Brian Robinson Jr – B to B-, one of the premier #2 backs in the NFL
