Atlanta was projected to take San Diego State CB Chris Johnson in Round 2.

Like the other 31 NFL teams, the Atlanta Falcons are ramping up their scouting ahead of the 2026 NFL Draft. On Friday, the team hosted two local prospects on pre-draft visits. Georgia State wide receiver Ted Hurst and Georgia defensive lineman Christen Miller met with the team in Flowery Branch.

Hurst and Miller are both potential targets for Atlanta due to their current draft projections and the team’s needs. The Falcons are reportedly focusing on the wide receiver and defensive tackle positions. However, pre-draft visits and insider intel have little bearing on what actually happens during the draft.

In fact, there’s a decent chance that the team will go in a completely different direction than most draft analysts anticipate. The Falcons have other needs at cornerback, offensive tackle and linebacker, which some could argue are equally as pressing.

PFSN analyst Alec Elijah released a new seven-round mock draft in which the Falcons make all five of their current picks without any trades. In Round 2, the team lands a new No. 2 cornerback in San Diego State’s Chris Johnson.

Round 2, Pick 48: CB Chris Johnson, San Diego State

“Beyond A.J. Terrell, the Falcons have been searching for consistency at corner, particularly from defenders who can stay glued to receivers in coverage,” wrote Elijah. “With the way the board has played out, landing San Diego State’s Chris Johnson would be a strong boost to the secondary, giving Atlanta a reliable running mate opposite Terrell.”

Johnson would be an intriguing choice in Round 2 if he’s still on the board at pick No. 48. Last season, Johnson recorded four interceptions and a Pro Football Focus grade of 91.6 (92.4 coverage grade). He’s currently rated as the 46th overall prospect on PFF’s 2026 big board.

In the later rounds of PFSN’s mock draft, the Falcons added Boise State guard Kage Casey, Mississippi State wide receiver Brenen Thompson, Alabama defensive tackle Tim Keenan III and Ole Miss offensive tackle Diego Pounds.

Thompson is a wildly productive slot receiver who recorded 1,054 receiving yards on just 57 catches (18.5 yards per catch) last season. Atlanta needs more depth, particularly in the slot where Olamide Zaccheaus is the only established player.

As for Keenan and Pounds, both could fill depth/developmental roles in Atlanta next season. Check out all five Falcons picks in PFSN’s mock draft below.

Falcons’ picks in PFSN’s 7-round mock draft

• Round 2, Pick 48: CB Chris Johnson, San Diego St.
• Round 3, Pick 79: G Kage Casey, Boise St.
• Round 4, Pick 122: WR Brenen Thompson, Miss. St.
• Round 6, Pick 215: DT Tim Keenan III, Alabama
• Round 7, Pick 231: OT Diego Pounds, Ole Miss

The 2026 NFL Draft is just two weeks away, starting on April 23. The Falcons’ first pick won’t come until the second round (pick No. 48 overall).

The Atlanta Braves are off to a very strong start in 2026, and they are certainly more enjoyable to watch than they were at the beginning of last season. At 9-5, the Braves are in their rightful spot at the top of the NL East, and they managed to do it with Ronald Acuña Jr. and Michael Harris II dealing with rotten luck when it comes to batted ball luck. At least both managed to go deep on Friday.

With Martin Perez set to take the mound on Saturday (fingers crossed that that isn’t a disaster), here is a look at some of the news around the Braves as we get into the weekend.

Braves News: Atlanta annihilated the Guardians on Friday while Jose Suarez struggled again

Most of the news from Friday’s game was great. Bryce Elder continued to defy logic and throw a decent game, although he wasn’t as efficient as we had seen. Acuña Jr., Harris, and Matt Olson all went deep, and the offense carried the Braves to an 11-5 win.

However, not all of the performances were good. After going 0-4, new addition Mike Yastrzemski saw his average to start the season drop to .190 and his OPS drop to a paltry .592. We also got a clear look at why Jose Suarez shouldn’t be on Atlanta’s roster for much longer, as he gave up three earned runs in less than an inning of work.

Braves News: Start of Sean Murphy’s rehab got pushed back a few days

Fans have been eager to see when Sean Murphy would return, and it looked like it could be very soon when the news broke that he was set to begin a rehab assignment in Gwinnett on Friday. Murphy has been out since last September, recovering from hip surgery.

However, Murphy’s debut got pushed back a few days, but not because he had a setback. According to Braves beat writer Mark Bowman, Murphy has some sort of family matter to attend to this weekend and needed to postpone his rehab assignment until Tuesday. Hopefully, everything is okay.

Braves News: Don’t expect Atlanta to call up Didier Fuentes or JR Ritchie very soon

There were rumblings on the internets that the Braves would be calling Didier Fuentes back up to the majors in the next week. If Reynaldo Lopez’s suspension was going to actually make him miss a start, or the Braves would mercifully cut bait on Suarez and/or Perez, that would make a lot of sense to do.

However, it doesn’t sound like such a move will happen in the next week. According to another report from Bowman, the Braves’ pitching plan is pretty set for the next week or so, and it keeps everyone on their usual schedule or gives them an extra day of rest. If Fuentes and JR Ritchie keep pitching well down at Triple-A, we probably won’t have to wait much longer to see them get their chance.

It was a formality, but it still had to be done.

The Falcons are exercising their fifth-year option on All-Pro running back Bijan Robinson.

In his first three seasons, Robinson has become one of the best and most versatile running backs in the league. He was the eighth-overall selection in the 2023 NFL draft after a stellar career at Texas.

He has totaled 805 rushes for 3,910 yards and 25 rushing touchdowns, along with 198 catches for 1,738 yards and nine receiving touchdowns.

Next season, he will share the backfield with Brian Robinson, after Tyler Allgeier departed for the Arizona Cardinals in free agency.