7. Atlanta Falcons: CJ Carr, QB, Notre Dame
The Atlanta Falcons are entering the 2026 season with a new head coach in Kevin Stefanski, and an all too familiar predicament for Stefanski: The quarterback position is a question mark.
The hope is that the Falcons will be able to get the best out of Michael Penix Jr. And if they can't get the best out of him, then certainly former Dolphins franchise QB and 1st-round pick Tua Tagovailoa will be able to thrive in Stefanski's offense.
If neither of those guys works out, we might have to start having some uncomfortable questions about Stefanski, but at the same time, the reality of the Falcons finishing in this type of situation means quarterback has to be on the table. If the Falcons are this bad in 2026, quarterback will be a 1st-round option.
CJ Carr is one of those prospects expected to take a huge leap this coming season, and he's getting praise early on for how well he operates the Notre Dame offense.
8. New Orleans Saints: Dylan Stewart, EDGE, South Carolina
The New Orleans Saints are one of my favorite breakout team picks for 2026, so I'm not anticipating them being in this favorable of a draft position again. However, the fact of the matter is, progression and development at the NFL are not always linear. A player like Tyler Shough might still struggle some in his second year, and the Saints could go from showing signs of life to struggling again in 2026.
If they get to this point, I love the idea of a pass rusher off the edge to help that defensive front. Chase Young was a really nice addition for them last year, and trade acquisition Tyree Wilson could be a fun reclamation project with positional flexibility.
Dylan Stewart is slightly undersized, but the pops from him really pop.
He's got 11 sacks and 22.5 tackles for loss along with 6 forced fumbles in his first two years at South Carolina, and has shown outstanding burst off the line of scrimmage. His athleticism and length are problems for offensive tackles.
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